Iced
by NavySoul
Summary: Elsa runs across the dark sea in pursuit of some mysterious object or being. She falls, and is knocked out by her own ice and left to die is the freezing ocean. Only, she is later saved by Hiccup and Toothless and brought back to Berk. This is the story of what happens after. This is my first story. Please review!
1. Chapter 1: A Foreign Place and Deja Vu

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction which uses characters from the movies Frozen and How to Train Your Dragon, which are trademarked and owned by Disney and Dreamworks. I do not own or claim ownership over any of the characters in either of these films. This story my own.

Chapter 1: A Foreign Place and Déjà Vu

Everything around me was completely silent. Where were the muffled sounds of Anna's tired groans and Kristoff's loud tromping? How had I not even woken up yet? I was usually the first one in the castle to be awake except the maids and butlers. I forced my eyes open – I had to start the day and attend to my royal duties as queen.

My head was aching horribly, and I could only see a dark wooden ceiling about twenty feet or so above my head. My arms were down at my sides, and I wiggled my fingers – relieved that they were there – and felt smooth satin-like sheets against my fingertips. However, there were some bumps and tears, and I could feel a seam under my hand. This wasn't my room. There should be a canopy above me (white and blue and gossamer silk) and I should be looking at that instead. Where were the satiny silk sheets that usually covered my bed? Was I in some sort of deserted bedroom in the castle that I had never seen before? Did Anna move me here in the middle of the night? I needed to figure out where I was.

I looked around the room and noticed that it was completely paneled in wood – but the wood was quite crude – with only some Celtic knots inscribed into it – but none of the usual designs or crests of the castle in Arendelle. Also, all of the wood used was cheap pine and cedar, and I didn't notice any that was of a more expensive, imported type, such as walnut or maple. I also noticed that there were faint scratches and burn marks on the wood paneling that had made noticeable dark spots and long scars.

I raised my head and looked down, noticing that I had been covered in a sheepskin blanket, and the bed beneath me felt soft but smelled slightly of smoke. I looked to my right a little and saw a fireplace imbedded in the wall and small wooden stool, a pair of boots, and even closer towards me was a short end table with an oil lamp on it that had smoke rising up from it. I assumed that the oil had run out or the wick had burnt down too much. Then I felt a strange, wet substance slide down my face towards my left eye and I reached up to touch it – it was cold to the touch, and as I pulled my hand away and looked at the substance closer, I noticed that it was a startling shade of green. Maybe some kind of remedy? But if I wasn't at home in the castle, as I had already figured out by the unfamiliarity of the room and the bed that I was in, then what kind of medicine was this? Was there a local healer that had found me?

I sat up in the bed, feeling a slight wave of nausea, but fought through it – since I was used to this same disorientation from my capture in the ice castle by the soldiers and Hans – and how I had been left like this before to wake up in the cold jail cell. I was grateful that I had been brought to a more quiet, warm, and comfortable environment. I was worried though. Where was I? If not in Arendelle, then had I been taken in by some peasant?

My head throbbed again, and as I groaned in shock and pain the rest of my memories came flooding back: the sea, my hopeless search for my parents' sunken ship, the ice that had hit me as I had fallen into the ocean. I took a deep breath, struggling to keep calm. The breathing helped to stabilize my panicking. Without even thinking, I focused some of my nervous energy, summoned my emotions and focused them as one as I pictured creating a small ball of ice. With a wave of my fingers, I saw the bright blue sparks of energy and felt the shock of my ice powers coming to life once again. The sphere materialized in all of a second. I rubbed its cool surface over my neck and face and sighed as the cold object calmed my anxiety.

I quickly pondered over everything – if I hadn't died in the sea, and my powers were functioning – then I was still alive but stuck in some place that wasn't Arendelle. I needed to leave this bed, figure out where I was, and get back home as soon as possible. I hoped that Anna and Kristoff could run the kingdom without me for a few days.

I threw the remaining length of the blanket off of myself and shifted my legs until they were hanging off of the bed – but the fabric against my body felt weird at that instant. Instead of the tight, stretchy fabric of my usual ice leggings and top, I felt warm, roughly-sewn lambskin pants and a loose hanging cotton shirt with leather lacings that crisscrossed over my abdomen.

I placed the ice sphere on the end table so that my hands were free to assess my startling clothing situation. Baggy linen sleeves hung on both of my arms, and I looked over and saw that the fabric was almost covering my whole hand. How had I not noticed before? I reached up and felt for the top lacings, to see how they hung on my frame, and was shocked to feel my bare skin covered only by a few cube-like strings of brown leather. I looked down at my chest as my eyes widened in mortification at the sight of my white bra.

The shirt's lacings ended in a tight 'V' right in the middle of my upper torso, and the top part of my chest was visible through the leather strips. Whose shirt was I wearing? It was way too big on me. The shirt was at least three times larger than any of my normal clothes, and I never wore anything with leather, only my ice gowns or pants – I didn't even think that I owned a linen shirt! This piece of clothing felt better suited towards a man than a woman (even of my tall stature).

Where were my ice clothes? I didn't remember losing them when I fell into the sea – maybe whoever saved me from drowning put them somewhere outside of this room. Had this person seen me naked? I groaned quietly to myself. I assumed so, for I wore none of my original clothes that I had on when I had fell into the sea. It was a little mortifying, but I was grateful to be alive and warm than covered in frostbite with my ice clothes still stuck to my body. I knew that I could just make more of them (I just had to focus and not turn the thin fabric into immovable ice), but I still wanted to find my original pair of leggings and the shirt. However, I would need some fabric to remake my outer layer coat, and a seamstress. I remembered that I had left the overcoat back on the black stone beach, as well as my heeled boots. How cold was it outside anyways? I had no idea, but I wasn't too worried (since I had a high cold tolerance already from being born with ice powers), but I didn't want the new people around me to suspect that there was anything absurd about me.

I wasn't safe here like I was in Arendelle. I couldn't remake my other clothes either – or I couldn't wear them in public at least – because if these new people saw me, they would know that there was something different about me. I would have to keep on these absurdly large clothes instead. My main goal now was to figure out where I was, how to go back home, and whose clothes I was wearing.

I stood up from the bed, and heard it decompress with a hiss. My hair tumbled over my shoulders and hung in a cream-colored curtain in front of my face. I guessed that I had lost my ice hair tie to the sea when I fell and my braid had come undone, but having hair in my face now wouldn't do me any good. Reaching up with both hands, I grabbed my loose hair and pushed it up behind my shoulders, and blew away the remaining shorter strands upwards with a gust of air. They stayed out of my way for only a second before falling down onto my forehead again, so I just decided to ignore them and focus on fixing my shirt.

It was too revealing as of now, and I needed to tighten up the leather strings – maybe even move the whole shirt up a few inches towards my neck so that it covered my chest. I grasped the front hem of the shirt and pulled it up from next to my bra all the way up to my collarbones. Looking down at my chest as I did so, I noticed that the lacings only showed my pale skin and none of my chest. Now to just tighten the strings up. I didn't want them loosening again so that my shirt slid back down to my cleavage again!

I could see that there were two lacings, one on each side, and they crossed over each other in opposite directions. I grabbed each of the strands, both ending in larger knots of the leather, and wrapped them around each other and tied them into a small bow. There was still quite a sizeable amount of skin that was showing due to the hole in the shirt, but it wasn't over my chest in a comprisable or awkward position anymore – and the shirt shouldn't move down anymore.

At least I could move around easily in such large clothing. I looked down at my feet to see if the pants I was wearing were too long. The leather lambskin pants hung a bit loosely around my calves and knees, but the waist fit me pretty well overall. They were stained with a rich, dark green – such an absurd color – and I wondered where these northern people had obtained and discovered such a vibrant hue to make the dye. I liked the rough sage-colored trousers. They weren't my usual sky blue or sapphire garments that I was accustomed to in Arendelle, and they surely were not crafted with as much quality, but I liked their sheer warmth and ruggedness. I felt like a completely new person wearing this absurd, crude clothing – almost as if I wasn't a queen in this foreign place. I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders, a sense of freedom that I hadn't felt since my escape to the North Mountain after my coronation. I didn't see or feel any shoes on my feet, but there was a pair of cream woolen socks that had been put on my feet. I was determined to find whoever had saved me from the sea; to express my sheer gratitude and appreciation to them for still being alive.

As I scanned the pine floor for the pair of shoes, a wave of nausea hit me and I felt my right temple throb. Raising a hand up to my head, I applied some light pressure to the cut, but I was still quite shocked to feel the cold slime of the herbal remedy that had been applied onto the abrasion. I resisted the urge to flinch, but was grateful that the cut wasn't bleeding.

Then I spotted the large pair of boots that were a few feet away from me by the wooden stool. I noticed, by studying them with a closer and more focused eye, that they were made of lambskin (like the pants were), but each boot also was covered with a layer of wolf's fur. I moved my feet across the floorboards as I made my way to the chair and boots. My calves ached and my feet hurt, but with the warm insulation from the clothes that I was wearing I was able to ignore the pain. I must have been asleep for a while: but for how long exactly? Was Anna worried? I hoped not too much. I was planning on returning to Arendelle as soon as my limbs didn't ache and I could figure out which way to go to find my home again.

I reached my hand out and held the top of the stool with my left hand as I pulled it towards me and sat down upon it. The pair of boots were right in between my feet now, and I bent down and grabbed one. It was very wide at the base, but as I maneuvered the first boot to place it on my foot, I could feel a lining of sheep's wool rubbing against my fingers. They were doubly insulated! How cold was it in this new place? I wasn't too worried, but I pondered this intriguing weather as I pulled the boot onto my left foot. The inner woolen lining rubbed against my foot slightly, but as soon as I had slid my foot into the rest of the boot comfortably, the pressure eased and a warm, slightly compressed pressure surrounded my foot from all angles. Already my toes were beginning to sweat. These new shoes were extremely efficient at preserving heat. It was amazing to think that there were none of these wool-lined, sheepskin boots in Arendelle. I grabbed the other one and pulled it onto my other foot. Bracing my left hand on the base of the stool, I pushed up and (a little shakily) got to my feet. My legs wobbled slightly.

That run across the sea had really done a number on my body. It must have been the ice chunks that had fallen down on me when the large wave had crested over. I was still miffed that I hadn't been able to get over it – the sheer force and strength of the sea was a harder thing to conquer than I had originally imagined. I knew that I could have made it over – if only the water hadn't been so deep and it hadn't been so dark out.

I wiggled my toes in the toasty boots, and I could feel that they were a few sizes too big for my feet, but with the wool on the inside layer, the friction helped to keep my feet from sliding around too much. With both the wool socks and boots covering my feet, I could feel my feet beginning to heat up like dark rocks in a summer stream. Hot feet wouldn't do me any good in this new environment, and I'd be too distracted in case this new place was hostile. My feet needed to cool down; I had to stay agile and light-footed.

Before I'd even finished that thought, my fingers had already shifted, and I soon felt a tingle run down my arms as I saw that two small ice balls had formed in my hands. With another flick of my wrist the larger ice ball that I had used to cool my neck came flying over to me and landed neatly on the floor beside my stool. It was amazing how my powers had become so developed now that all I needed was a thought and something would materialize. Grasping the small spheres in my palms, I reached down again to my feet and placed them inside the shoes right near my ankles.

I reached out and plucked the remaining sphere off the ground, where it had sat by me when I had summoned it. I clenched my hand into a tighter fist as I felt the ice crack in half beneath my fingers. I grabbed onto a half from my right hand and then placed each one into the opposing side of my boots for a more intense and awakening chill. My sigh of relief was immediate. The soothing, numbing cold from the fresh ice slowly melted against the heat of my socked feet and the boots, and already there was liquid condensing along my calves and ankles. The warmth and sweat produced from wearing these heat-trapping shoes begun to die down considerably – almost instantly.

I straightened my knees once more and clasp my elbows with my hands. I didn't feel cold – not one bit – but if I was to go outside and meet a whole new group of people who had never seen powers like mine before, I would need to play the part of a regular citizen. There was no way that I was going to foolishly reveal myself to anyone without their full trust. Mimicking shivering and wearing these absurd clothes instead of making my own would help me be more genuinely accepted by these new people. Or at least I hoped that it would. I had no idea if these people would take offense to my borrowed outfit or not.

I turned around and glanced at my bed. What if it was really cold out there? It was never too cold for me, but if there was snow on the ground and I didn't have a coat I would look out of place. As much as lugging around a heavy blanket on my shoulders was a waste of my time, and a way to limit my mobility, I would rather carry a little extra weight than expose myself. I shuffled a few feet along the pinewood floor, and bent over to grab the sheepskin blanket from the bed. My fingertips skimmed the edge of its smooth surface as I pinched a section of it with my thumbs and pulled the cover towards me. It came off the bed easily, but I had also pulled off the underlying sheets as well. They now laid on the floor in a small pile in front of me. I took a few more steps and crouched down, lifted them up, and placed them onto the bed in a heap. I didn't want to be totally ungrateful for these people's unreserved hospitality.

Now that the bed was in a somewhat resemblance of order, and I now clutched the soft blanket to my chest, I spun around slowly and faced the main door once again. Its main frame was only a few feet taller than me, but its base was close to ten feet wide. Why would these people need such large doors? Did they regularly carry in large furniture items? I thought there was no need for such an absurd door – the largest thing in my room was the bed, and that was only 8 feet across! I made a mental note to ask these people about this strange design. As I walked closer towards the door, I noticed that there were faint claw marks that scoured the surface, and a large, circular iron handle hanging on the right side. What kind of animal had made these marks? Did these people own ill-trained pets? Or maybe the wood that they used had been previously attacked by a pack of wolves and been gouged out.

I was a little on edge, but not too worried, for I had my powers to defend myself. Only a few feet from the door now, I reached out with my right hand and grasped the curved handle. There were slight impurities and rough spots that rubbed against my palm as I positioned my hand to pull, but overall the metal was pretty smooth. I grasped the large metal door handle tightly in my right hand and yanked the door towards me with strong force – ice from my palms encrusted itself onto the cool metal, this recent stress and being in this foreign home and land had loosened my control on my powers. Especially when it came to other cold substances such as metal.

The uneasiness that I still felt because of not knowing where I was had taken a larger toll on me than I had originally imagined. I was hardly stressed too badly in Arendelle, Anna's cheerful laughs, Olaf's insistent hugs and happiness, and Kristoff's good-natured help around the castle all aided in keeping me on the low side of stress. I didn't like that my wariness and fear had returned. Hopefully these new people would embrace me for the short time that I would be here; I was already so grateful to them for nursing me back to health after my tumbling fall into the dark sea.

As I considered my situation, my hand still held firm on the iron handle as the heavy wooden door swung open. The harsh glare of the midday sun greeted me, and I squinted to avoid being completely blinded by the bright light. A brisk, cold wind rushed through the opening of the house and moved the baggy sleeves on my arms. I could smell a strong odor of dirt, livestock, and (oddly) smoke, and a small smattering of snow blew roughly against my face. I was correct in choosing to grab the sheepskin blanket off of my bed – it was pretty cold here even with my powers! As my eyes slowly adjusted to the outside sunlight, I froze, dropping the blanket onto the wooden floor.

Readers: Thank you for taking the time to view and read my story. I really appreciate seeing that you guys like it! Also, please leave any comments that you have for me in the review/comment box below (no profanity please). Your feedback and constructive criticism would really help me to improve this story.


	2. Chapter 2: The Dragon and Viking Twins

Chapter 2: The Dragon and Viking Twins

The large, looming figure of a massive creature stood in front of me. A small, circular head, two hind legs, a long, spiked tail – and most shockingly, wings. I was truly afraid again. Dumbstruck. Bewildered. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, even though the magnificent beast stood in its full glory right in front of me: a dragon. My mouth dropped open in shock as I continued to stare at the creature. Its face was dominated by a large maw of dagger-sharp teeth that poked out of its jaw, resting on its face. My eyes widened in fear. Could this beast kill me in one second or five? Would my powers even do me any good? All dragons breathed fire – so what good would my ice do?

My eyes roved around the creature's face, and I noticed that there were two small, beady eyes situated above its huge mouth, and that they were a dark shade of ebony. The scaly skin around and below its jaw was a bright yellow, and the scales closer to its eyes glowed a dark reddish brown. How did I even stand a chance against its thick scales? They must have each been at least three or four inches thick. A sharp, curved horn protruded from the center of the dragon's face, almost like a nose, and a circular crown of golden spines guarded its head and neck. The remaining skin on its face was a pale sky-blue. There were two massive legs supporting the dragon's small body, with huge black claws on its feet and various shades of blue scales running up its legs. I noticed that its underbelly was the same pale shade of yellow as its lower jaw.

However, I felt my knees wobble when I beheld the beast's whip-like, spiky tail: rows of sharp, pointed thorns lined the creature's tail, and they were a striking bright lemon yellow against the dragon's light blue skin. I guessed that the spikes were easily five inches long, and could tear through my skin in a second. Not even my reflexes were that fast or agile; I might be able to freeze or dodge one or two, but it really depended on how much distance there was between me and the dragon. I'd need to freeze the beast's tail before even considering getting near it or running away, and with its thick, scaly hide and muscular body I was dubious of that plan succeeding.

Yet I'd almost overlooked the most awe-inspiring feature of the dragon – its magnificent wings. Their undersides were covered in a darker shade of the same vibrant yellow as its jaw and belly, but I was intrigued by the speckled greens and browns that dominated the upper parts of the beast's wings. The ends tapered off in numerous sharp points, reminding me of the smaller limbs that would branch off of a deciduous tree. Two bony, muscular arms held the thin wings aloft. It was an interesting combination of colors for a dragon – I had always thought that they would be black or red.

But as I stared at the beast's magnificent wings, they shifted downward and then folded in on themselves against the dragon's body. It was moving. I tore my eyes away from its threatening wings and focused on the creature's whole body. One of its beady eyes was looking straight at me – entranced somehow. Then, quick as lighting, the dragon's head jerked sideways and completely faced towards me as its predatory gaze centered on me.

I felt the blood drain from my face. Would the beast kill me now in my hesitation? In my lack of action and shock would it kill me quick or slow? I lifted my hand off the iron doorknob and lowered it to my side with slow movements. Scaring this curious dragon was the last thing that I wanted. A calm dragon was less likely to attack – it might have just been interested in the house I was standing in and not my presence here. But I knew that was wrong. There was no mistaking that direct, forceful gaze and power in the dragon's eyes. All of a sudden, a harsh metallic screech assaulted my ears, and I realized that in the cold and gusty wind the door that I had swung open had banged against the wall of the house.

The jarring noise broke my thoughtless, terrified state. I was standing in the doorway of a house. One that was not my own. The breath that I had sucked in during my shock came rushing out through my lips in a large gust. There were other people here. I glanced around in a rush and noticed I stood up at the top of some stone steps, and there was fountain behind where the dragon was standing. A group of women with heavy cloaks on were chatting in front of a house in the town square about fifty yards to my left. They were focused on their conversation, so they hadn't noticed me braced up here on the hill in the house's doorway.

Even though there were hardly any people around now, I knew that my powers were off limits. Any loud noise from me would give away my presence, and if the women didn't notice me then the dragon's hulking frame and heavy tread would surely draw some attention. I had to calm down and think. All I had to do was sprint down these giant stone steps, avoid the dragon, and reach the fountain without getting attacked, killed or exposed. All without my powers.

The dragon was forty yards away from me. That offered maybe ten or fifteen seconds before the beast could reach me? But, as I pondered my escape, the dragon began running towards me. Its huge claws dug into the ground as it easily climbed the massive rock stairs. A pulse of adrenaline rushed through me, as my blood grew cold. The snowy winds howled as they pushed against my body, and I sprinted to the left, running down a grassy slope towards the fountain. Not accustomed to running with massive boots on, I stumbled on the grassy hill, but after a second, I regained my equilibrium and readjusted my form. It was just like running barefoot, but my feet felt about ten times heavier than usual.

The dragon's massive feet pounded on the hard stone, and I could hear its heavy breathing fading as I reached a massive stone statue about twenty feet from the house that I had stayed in. Gasping deep breaths, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed that the dragon had stopped running and was looking around with a sense of confusion as its head whipped around – I figured that it was still trying to find me. My heartrate calmed slightly, but I knew that I still had to reach the fountain in the middle of the town square so that I could hide behind the stone, and have the water there as protection against the beast's fire. Maybe I could even freeze the water and trap the beast in the fountain as a last resort?

I grasped the rough stone with my hands, running my fingers over it to try and calm myself. I could feel just the slightest amount of ice coming from my hands and making a residual layer on the rock, so I pulled my hands away and held them steady at my side. Taking another deep breath, I steeled my nerves and rushed out from behind the massive statue. The fountain was to my right and right in front of me, and I felt a jolt of relief flow through me. My arms pumping, and my legs aching from my fall, I had just reached the cobblestone streets before I heard the dragon's roar of surprise. Glancing out of the corner of my eye, I saw that beast had spotted me and had begun running after me in pursuit. A pulse of terror rushed through me. If the dragon caught up with me, I would surely die. Not stopping, I pushed my body to sprint even faster towards the fountain. I was only ten feet away now, so I stopped, dropped onto my hands and knees, and crawled up to the curved stone wall of the fountain and pressed my back against it as I hugged my knees to my chest.

My heart was thudding wildly in my chest and my legs were shaking from the fear and adrenaline. A hot, nervous energy was roiling around in my stomach. I had made it through. Even though I could still hear the dragon's massive footfalls growing louder on the cobblestone as it ran towards me, I was grateful to be alive and not gouged or flambéed. Eyes wide, I laid my head on my knees and tried to make myself as small as possible. The dragon's footsteps grew ever closer to me, and my breath came in short, panicky gasps. Its hot breath buffeted the air around me. I guessed that it stood right next to me. My whole body froze up. Don't move. Don't breathe. I thought in a panic.

Then, a rough, scaly jaw brushed against my scalp and I was moved over slightly. What? I was in disbelief. Again, the beast nudged me, this time against my shoulder, almost in an affectionate manner. Why hadn't the dragon bitten my head off or killed me yet? All of a sudden, the dragon pushed me forcefully – almost in an annoyed manner – and I cried out in surprise and fell over onto my right side onto the dusty cobblestones. In a second, I flipped over onto my back, maneuvered my arms under me, and stared up at the animal in shock.

The dragon towered at least fifteen feet above me, but it had lowered its head to my height and I could feel the hot air from its nostrils blowing on me from its closeness. A deep, whooshing accompanied the beast's breathy exhales and I thought that I could hear the thudding of its heartbeat. The dragon's jaw almost rested on my raised knees. I could feel my arms shaking with adrenaline and sheer terror at the beast's close proximity. The sun reflected off of the dragon's scales – a multitude of tiny blue-tinted rainbows shone on my legs. The colors calmed me ever so slightly. My trembling slowed.

Then a large thud sounded right next to me, and I flinched and fell onto my back. Some dust from the street flew into my eyes and I coughed as my eyes watered slightly. Looking up over my head, I could see a massive olive-green, clawed foot that rested only five feet from my head. As I moved my eyes upward, I could see that it was indeed another dragon that stood next to me. It was even bigger than the dragon that stood right in front of me! A bolt of terror flooded me, and I quickly moved my legs away from the smaller blue dragon, backed up against the wall of the fountain, and curled myself up into a ball.

I looked up in my fear to continue to study the beast, and I saw that its whole body was varying shades of light to emerald green, and that there were small red spines on the dragon's back and neck. But then I stalled on an even more shocking sight.

There was a person resting on the dragon's neck.

It was a young adult girl, close to my age, and she had long tresses of blond hair that hung down to her waist. Her pale face was dominated by a round, bulbous nose, and two lime green eyes that were watching my every move. On her head she had a large metal helmet with curved bone horns protruding from each side, right above her ears. Animal skin and heavy metal plates covered the top, and a wide brim of iron bordered the bottom part of the helmet, and it was inscribed with some designs. I had seen a helmet like that before – I remembered that my parents had told me about the ferocious Viking tribes that dominated the far North past Arendelle, and that we were once part of that same ancestry until we broke away, claimed some southern land as our own, and established our own fledgling monarchy in Arendelle.

I could spot the resemblance between me and the girl. We had similar hair colors, physical, and facial features, but that was where all likeness between us ended. Where I held a strong pride and dignity in my appearance and attitude, the Viking girl had none. Her blond hair hung in two messy braids, and I could see a smattering of dirt spread on her face. As if she sensed my unease just then, the girl snarled as she breathed in a large amount of air. Then, she turned to her right and spat onto the ground a huge wad of saliva. I could feel the edges of my lips forming a small frown at her rudeness, and some of my fear of the dragons' proximity dissipated.

My hands quivered just slightly at her show of fearlessness as I held my legs to my chest. A grin formed on her face at the sight of my weakness. I stilled my hands immediately, and calmed my anger and fear so that my face became expressionless. The last thing I wanted was for this Viking girl to think that I could be intimidated by her uncivilized antics. However, it was still a struggle to contain my fear at the sight of two fearsome dragons. How did she stay so calm? But the more prodding question on my mind was how she could ride atop a dragon.

I would be the one to frighten her. However, as much as I wanted to strike back at her with my powers and freeze her to the dragon's neck, I knew that such a display of hostility would surely ruin any further hospitality or salvation from these mysterious, barbaric people. I took a deep, stabilizing breath – trying still to ignore the frightening presence of the massive dragons. The girl narrowed her eyes slightly at me and then turned to face someone next to her. I was confused for a moment - who was she going to talk to? But as I tore my eyes off of her disgusted visage, I noticed that there was indeed another, similar-aged boy sitting on a second dragon's neck at the same height she was. The dragon that they sat upon was two-headed! How was it alive? I had never seen an animal with two heads alive before – only had I heard of them in the stories and fairytales that my parents had told me.

All of a sudden, the one dragon head lowered the girl down to my height – her feet hung down and reached my knees – and she studied me with a slight look of confusion marring her ferocious scowl. She looked my body up and down quickly, and then opened her mouth hesitantly to address me.

"Who are you? And who do you work for? Dagur? Virgo? Grimmel? I will find you out—" she paused and narrowed her eyes at me in a show of intimidation, and placed a threatening hand on her axe that rested on her lap, "I know everyone in Berk."

What was Berk? I assumed that it was the name of this town – and why did this fearsome Viking girl assume that I was a spy? I had to ask her, but I needed to be careful – spies were never treated with understanding; I had learned that from being a ruling monarch. With some dregs of adrenaline still coursing through me, I slowly rose up off the ground and grasped the rim of the fountain with my hands. My legs wobbled slightly. Taking in a quick, stabilizing breath, I answered.

"I'm not sure why I'm here – I'm not even sure how I arrived here! Nobody told me what to do or where to go, and I have never been to this pl—" I corrected myself quickly, not wanting to offend her, "Berk before. You see, I was in an accide—"

"Save your witty lies missy. I don't trust your story one bit." Before I could react or respond, the girl lowered even more on her dragon and grabbed my shoulder forcefully.

"Get on." No emotion in her voice as she spoke – only pure command. I didn't want to face deeper trouble, so against my common sense I jumped up and clambered onto the beast's neck. "Don't fall off." She said again in that same commanding tone, and I grabbed on tightly to the red spines on the dragon's neck and held on for dear life as the Viking girl took me into the sky.

An even stronger wind shook my body as we slowly gained altitude. The Viking girl looked over her shoulder at me briefly, checking that I was still there, and then nodded at me and turned to peer out across the village again. I could see that she sat atop a small leather saddle that had been wrapped tightly around the dragon's neck and I wondered how the beast did not end up choking. Did she have to forcibly subdue this beast to ride atop it in such a manner? I was worried for my own safety, for I had not been given padding of any kind to protect me from the sharpness or uncomfortableness of the beast's scales. The dragon's neck bobbed up and down – almost like it was trying to push itself to be airborne at an even faster rate – and I clutched the large red spine in front of me even tighter.

I did not want to fall off. The scales on the dragon's neck rubbed against my legs and inner thighs, but the sage sheepskin pants I wore softened the effect so that all I felt was an insistent rubbing. I was grateful at this moment for my savior's hospitality. Glancing around me, I could see that we were near to fifty feet above the fountain now, and as I looked behind me, I noticed that the beast's wings beat at a furious, quick pace and that it had a massive torso with two split green tails. I squeezed my legs even tighter against the dragon's neck to maintain my balance and equilibrium. Closer to me, I noticed that there was indeed another head to the dragon and that a boy (similar in age to the Viking girl in front of me) sat upon its neck with a similarly-fashioned leather saddle. He had similar features as the girl – light blond hair that had been grown out and hung in dreadlocks, a fearsome metal and bone helmet, and a thick fur and leather vest.

With a slight lurching, the two Vikings directed the massive dragon to fly towards a huge wooden building about two hundred yards past the fountain – the building was only a short quarter-mile walk away from the house that I had stayed in, and was carved into a large stone mountain on the top of a snow-covered hill. From this height, I noticed some impressive features of the house that I had been left in: the wood paneling was stained a brilliant chestnut, and there were two massive wooden dragon-like heads that arched over the main doorway. The roof was also an intriguing sight – it was heavily curved, and there were no obvious walls; only arch-like sides that were paneled in a dark, thickly-plated spruce that met in a sharp point at the top.

The wind continued to blow against me, and the delicate snowflakes began to strike my face as a cold, stinging rain as I studied the village. It didn't bother me at all – except for the occasional annoyance of a snowflake in my eye – but I didn't want the scary Viking girl or her twin accomplice to suspect that I was any different from them. Forcing myself to imitate shivering, I leaned forward on the dragon's neck closer towards the girl's left shoulder.

"W-where are you t-taking me?" I half-yelled in her ear over the howling winds.

Out of the corner of her eye, the girl looked at me with an annoyed expression and grumbled angrily: "You don't need to know – but prepare yourself to meet the chief. He won't be half as nice to you as I've been."

A cold, sharp fear gripped my throat. I was meeting their chief. Already. Inhaling a deep breath, I calmed myself again – I could handle a meeting with a chief, I had met with dignitaries and trade secretaries frequently in Arendelle as queen. How different could a Viking chief be?

Readers: Thank you for taking the time to view and read my story. I really appreciate seeing that you guys like it! Also, please leave any comments that you have for me in the review/comment box below (no profanity please). Your feedback and constructive criticism would really help me to improve this story.


	3. Chapter 3: The Grieving Chieftain

Chapter 3 – The Grieving Chieftain

I continued to clutch the green dragon's red spines in an effort to stabilize myself. The deep, loud whooshing of the dragon's wings slowly grew quieter and less frequent, and I noticed that the girl had directed the dragon into a long descent towards the massive building – which I assumed was the town hall.

The houses grew closer as we passed – only twenty feet or so above them – and I was relived to be almost on solid ground again. Only a few moments later, we reached the ground and the dragon reared up sharply into the air, and I felt a jolting thud as its back legs landed on the hard-packed earth.

The wind from this sudden stop buffeted my hair and obscured my vision. With two massive beats of its large wings, the dragon created a downdraft to slow its momentum, and then its front feet crashed onto the ground with a loud thump. I was violently thrown forward, and with a scream of surprise and outrage I lost my grip on the beast's neck. Flipping over onto my back, I crashed down onto the ground.

The near 20-foot fall knocked the wind out of me, and I gasped – pain burned through my back and head. I could feel some small rocks that had embedded themselves into the palms of my hands and pushed against my back and arms. My head throbbed, and I could feel my heartbeat in my ears, and the lack of oxygen made my head spin.

Distantly, I heard the Viking girl dismount off of the dragon's neck, and her loud footsteps grew closer as she leisurely made her way towards me. Dazed, I stared up at the sky and squinted against the onslaught of the bright sun. The blowing snow was hitting my hair and face, but I didn't have the strength to care about what I looked like to her.

Suddenly, the girl's head obscured my vision, and she reached down with a strong hand, grabbed my left shoulder, and pulled me upright. I hopped around unsteadily for a second, struggling to regain my balance and shake off my dizziness, but the girl just stood there looking at me with a growing annoyance. She reached out and held both of my shoulders, stilling my unsteady recovery. Then she looked me dead in the eyes.

"You will not fall off of my dragon again. Do you understand?" she growled in a quiet, menacing tone. I held her gaze, and nodded slightly. I couldn't show her my fear at her frightening tone or she would walk all over me. I was a queen – there was no room for me to be afraid of a Viking girl! There were more important things for me to focus on, such as finding my way home and negotiating my innocence with a Viking chief.

"Good." She responded, content with my non-verbal agreement. She released one of my shoulders, and turned me towards the massive, inlaid, wooden building.

Without looking back at me, she turned and spoke to the other boy who had jumped down off of the dragon's other neck. "Tuff, come over here and grab her arm. We can't let her waltz in on her own."

Looking over to my left as the girl spoke, I saw her long-hair twin rider – Tuff - hop down off of the green dragon's other head. He walked over to me with an unhurried pace, and he met my semi-anxious stare with a small, wry grin of his own. His attempt at being at being somewhat hospitable towards me helped me feel like I wasn't as alone in this dangerous, frozen land.

The girl groaned quietly at his slowness, breaking my train of thought, and suddenly grasped my left arm in a death grip. Her nails dug into my skin. "Tuff, seriously hurry up! We need her to meet with the chief now. What if she's leading Grimmel here? Or Virgo? Or any of the other enemy tribe leaders?"

Tuff responded, unphased by her sudden urgency. "Ruff, calm down, she seemed pretty scared back there, and she just fell off of Belch! She might even have a concussion."

"Fine." The girl – named Ruff apparently – eased her grip on my arm slightly.

I continued to stare ahead at the massive town hall, not wanted to involve myself in their conversation over my well-being. My head ached for sure, and I could feel a dull throbbing on my temple and the green slime was still on my face somehow. How had they not noticed my other injuries yet?

I was confused by their lack of observation, but the boy seemed to care about me more than the Ruff did. Yet even the boy's initial kindness towards me seemed a little strained. It seemed he and this girl argued quite often over their next course of action, and I was just another problem for them to solve in the same inefficient way.

I wondered if their chief would be just as mean, maybe even more uncaring than this girl next to me – or would he be gracious and understanding? Yet I knew that it was pointless to hope for the latter, as I concluded that the former was probably the temperament that I would face when meeting their chieftain – only harsh and cold disdain.

Together, the two dragon-riding Vikings held onto my arms and led me up a dusty dirt path towards the looming Great Hall. The wind continued to blow strongly, and I shivered slightly to stay in character. Soon, we reached massive stone steps that stopped at the entrance of the building.

"Don't trip on the stairs." The girl said, more annoyed at me now than she was before. I nodded to her, but said nothing as I carefully stepped up onto the worn stairs. The stone was a myriad of grays, almost like granite, but I assumed that it was some local stone made to look the same. We soon made our way to the top, and Tuff let go of my arm and walked up to the huge doors. They were constructed with the same wood as the door in the house that I had woken up in, and there were ring-shaped, iron handles twice as big and nearly three inches in diameter.

Banging loudly on the wood to announce our presence, he then grasped the right handle with one hand and easily swung open the twenty-foot door. I was impressed. Even one of those doors must have weighed at least one-hundred pounds, and he had opened it without any effort!

A smoky smell wafted out of the building, and I could see the light of a few candles from the inside. There was some conversation going on as well, as I could clearly hear a loud, deep voice, and the raspier tone of an older man. Tuff stepped back from the door and grasped my arm again, as the two of them pulled me into the darkened hall.

This time Ruff grabbed the inner handle of the ajar door and pulled it shut behind us. The snowy wind stopped abruptly, and I could hear a roaring fire burning furiously.

"Keep walking." Ruff said, and I felt her hand push me sharply in the back. I stumbled forward slightly, but the two Vikings' strong grip on my arms kept me from falling. My feet scuffed on the floor and made a high screeching sound that reverberated off of the wooden and stone walls of the massive space.

I blushed with embarrassment, but then that feeling was swamped with a massive dose of fear. I hoped that I hadn't just offended their chieftain! Looking up, my eyes slowly adjusted to the darker interior, and I could now clearly see the massive fire burning brightly in front of us.

Glancing around to familiarize myself with the building's surroundings, I noticed that the floor consisted of jagged, flat stones, and massive wooden pillars supported the roof of the structure. There were a few people just milling around, and some huddled around the roaring firepit in the middle of the room, but what was most interesting to me was the young man who faced away from us.

He was in a deep conversation with an older man sitting upon the firepit's stone barrier, and to my surprise, the Viking girl steered me towards them. The two men's voices got louder as we neared them. They sounded similar to the ones that I had heard outside – and as we neared them I realized that the two men were indeed the same ones that we had overheard.

"But – I don't want to abandon my sheep out in that blizzard! It's way too cold for their weak bodies. I'll end up with frozen sheep instead of live ones!"

"As I said before Mr. Ostendorf, I've already built you a new barn in town. Why don't you move in now?"

"Why?! I don't want to leave my ancestral lands! What if there is a snowstorm or the sea surges and washes away my house? I'd have nowhere to live!" The elderly man had grown nearly hysterical at the prospect of losing his home.

I could commiserate with him – even a broken roof caused many citizens in Arendelle to panic due to the ever-looming threat of the freezing blizzards and ice storms that plagued us in the winter. This young man seemed to hold quite a lot of responsibilities. Rebuilding a house was no easy feat, and gathering the money for it was another challenge within itself. He must be in a position of power within this village. I wondered who he was to these people if they seemed to come to him with their problems.

The younger man spoke again, "Well, if that happens, I am truly sorry for you, but you really should move into these new lodgings. I don't want you to get hurt because of your resistance to change. If your house is damaged, I promise you that I will go down to the cliffs there and help to rebuild it for you."

I doubted the young man's statement for a second until I looked over and saw the elderly man's face. He froze for a second, pondering the man's claim, but soon sagged in relief at the young man's words. It seemed his word was true.

"I thank you, Hiccup, for your kindness and generosity. I will move in today then." He slowly slid off of the massive rock barrier and walked past us towards the chamber's door.

He turned back briefly. The man seemed at peace with this resolution all of a sudden, and he walked towards the door. I was shocked. This young man had to be their chief. Why else would I have been taken over to see him? The amount of responsibilities he had to handle rivaled mine, and he seemed to be the go-to man for these villagers' problems.

Never before had I seen a more efficient chief – especially at a village as small and remote as this one.

He treated these people like I treated my citizens in Arendelle. So much compassion – much more than I would have expected from a Viking chieftain. Normally it would be harder to work with people individually, and even more so if they automatically resisted change. I wondered how he had become such a wise chief.

He didn't seem much older than me. We seemed to hold some character traits in common. It was nice to know that I might have a friend in this foreign place. Once I convinced him to trust me.

However, the two Viking twins tore me out of my reverie, yanking me forward quickly as they brought me towards the young chieftain. The girl cleared her throat with a nasally cough, and I winced at her lack of class.

"Hey Hiccup… we found this girl scared senseless at the main fountain – she was even afraid of Stormfly! I've developed a conclusion that she must be a foreign spy for Grimmel or Virgo – as she even fessed up to not knowing who we were or where she was. She's a real master of deception, this one. Can we go ahead and take her to the dungeons now?"

I gaped at her accusation. She was so informal, and had presented no evidence at all. How could she be so quick to accuse me? Did she really think that I was a spy? I had been telling the truth!

Just then, as I considered my outrageous situation, the chief paused (in what seemed like shock), and turned towards us with a newfound urgency. Not him too – there was no way that I would allow myself to be sentenced so quickly to the dungeons without first telling this Viking chief my side of the story.

I knew that I could make him listen. He was like me – kind, considerate, and not one to jump headfirst into something without some decent consideration and thought. At least I thought that he was a chief like that. A man like that. He had to be; he must have a sense of decency somewhere deep within himself. He _had_ to listen.

"What, Ruff –" he said in a confused tone, his voice was deep, but with a higher pitch reminiscent of adolescence. I looked up at him, gathering my strength and wits to challenge his decision, and hoping for mercy from him, but I halted when I saw his face – he _was_ my age. The chieftain stopped dead when he saw me.

He had piercing grass-green eyes, and dark chestnut hair that fell in a spiky fashion across his forehead. I noticed that he had a slight smattering of freckles across his face and two small braids made from his hair as well. Some kind of odd Viking fashion? The man was gaping at me. His eyes met mine, and he seemed to be not able to process the fact that I was here before him.

"Y-you… you're the girl…" he was unable to finish his sentence due to his apparent shock of seeing me. His chest was rising and falling rapidly. How did he even know me? I had never met him before today.

He was speechless for a second longer before he turned away from me and called out in a loud, commanding tone: "Everyone! Please exit the Great Hall – I must have the space alone with Ruffnut and Tuffnut to discuss an important matter. Thank you for your cooperation."

I could hear groaning rise up at the man's request, but the few people who were within the building walked towards the door and exited. We were alone now. Just me, the chief, and my two Viking abductees. I then realized that _I_ was the matter they wanted to discuss.

The chief pushed himself up and off of the stone firepit barrier, and he walked over towards a large wooden table. He turned towards us again, and sat down heavily on one of the benches, still bewildered at my appearance. Suddenly, his head jerked up – I could see remnants of shock in his eyes.

"Well?" the man asked, in a slightly exasperated tone, "Ruff, Tuff, bring her over here."

The two Vikings pulled me over to the chieftain. They let go of my arms, and the girl pushed me down onto the wooden bench. I was relieved to have my arms back, and automatically I hugged myself and imitated some slight shivering. But as I calmed myself down, and rubbed my sides soothingly with my palms, my fear was not fabricated at all.

My arms were shaking with the remaining dregs of adrenaline that was running through my system, and I could see my right knee bouncing uncontrollably as my nervousness increased. Would this seemingly compassionate chieftain send me to the dungeons? Or would he take mercy on me?

Pulling together my remaining strength, and taking on my queen persona once again, I looked up and met the chief's concerned stare. He jumped a little when my eyes met his once again, but he quickly regained his composure. The worry disappeared in his eyes when he noticed me looking at him. Why did he care so much? He didn't even know me.

"Hello." He said gently, "my name is Hiccup."

I nodded in response, and was about to thank him for not sentencing me to the dungeons when the girl, Ruffnut, slammed her hand down forcefully on the table. I jumped in my seat at the sudden noise, and I noticed that the chieftain – Hiccup – tore his gaze away from me and looked up at her with a small frown on his face.

"What do you want Ruff? Can't you see that I'm trying not to frighten this girl more?" Hiccup sighed, his voice growing more and more irritated.

Ruffnut ignored the chief's annoyance and whispered across the table to him. "But Hiccup, we don't even know if she's truly a stranger or a spy. 'Cause I was thinking about this on the way over and this girl didn't even recognize Strormfly! She has to be pretending. I think she's trying to get us to shelter her, but while we're not looking, she'll sneak around behind our backs and report to Virgo or maybe even Grimmel!"

Hiccup shook his head at her and sighed again, this time much louder. "Ruff, you know that we defeated Virgo years ago, right? And Grimmel has been contained for now – Astrid and I and the rest of us took away his dart weapons and freed all of the dragons under his control. Remember that?"

Ruffnut didn't reprimand him. I saw her move her hand off of the table in retreat. The chieftain didn't stop there though. I appreciated that he was defending me. It was aggravating to me that this Viking girl had the nerve and audacity to talk over me like I wasn't even here! As much as I wanted to reprimand her for her rudeness, I knew that there was no way that she would listen to a word I said. She would probably think that I was spouting more lies.

"Anyways Ruffnut, I've met this girl before. I saved her the other night. She had been the sole survivor of the shipwreck that I discovered on patrol two days ago. Do you remember that? I've had to nurse her back to health!" Hiccup exhaled a long, slow breath – soothing his anger at her I imagined.

I continued to stare at him. Was that really true? Had this wise, young chieftain really risked his precious time to save me? I was shocked.

"But her fear of dragons is peculiar." He looked over to me again. "Where did you come from, miss?"

I stared at him a moment longer, taking in the fact that this man had saved me from that vicious sea. Maybe he had even risked his life while doing so – those ocean waves were particularly violent.

"I'm not from around here Chief Hiccup." I said to him simply. It was probably best that I stick to the truth when talking to the chief. He nodded, but suddenly a low chuckle escaped him. I was confused, had I offended him?

"You don't need to call me chief." He said, laughing.

"But – " I cut in.

His laughter dying down, he waved a hand at me reassuringly. So, curious to hear his response, I stopped talking.

"We are very informal here on Berk – if you haven't noticed already." I nodded. He then looked over at the two Vikings behind me. "Yet, I hope that Ruffnut and Tuffnut have not been causing you too much trouble. They both tend to overexaggerate things and are slow to trust people. Especially Ruffnut."

I scoffed, but was quick to stifle my shocked laugh at his claim. But I saw that he noticed it.

"Yes. Ruffnut has been particularly accusatory towards me." I paused, focusing on how to pose my next question to Hiccup without offending my other present company. "And if you don't mind me asking, is Tuffnut always so brisk and surly? She practically dragged me here to meet you."

Hiccup looked back at me again. "With her it really depends. I apologize for her rudeness to you though – we don't normally treat guests with such _hostility_." He emphasized the word so harshly that I knew automatically that he had directed that statement to Ruffnut.

"But," he continued, "even though she might be rude to you at first, I have come to find that even though she may be a bit rough around the edges sometimes Ruffnut is very loyal and a good friend to have. She just needs to warm up to you."

"Oh – okay." I smiled slightly at him, grateful that he was being so nice and understanding.

A small grin formed on Hiccup's face and he looked at me. "And I'll personally make sure that Ruffnut doesn't imprison you for espionage or treason."

"I- " I struggled to find the right words to express my gratitude. "Thank you – Hiccup."

I was floored by his show of kindness towards me. Again, another trait that I wished I possessed as queen – I was always so quick to judge people based on first impressions.

I noticed that both Ruffnut and Tuffnut were silent behind me. Probably shocked by their chief's show of diplomacy and hospitality towards an outsider. Hiccup glanced over towards them again and motioned for them to sit down beside me. I felt the bench move as the two Vikings sat down beside me, and their combined body heat seeped through my linen shirt and warmed me quickly. Hopefully I wouldn't sweat due to them.

Hiccup lifted up his arms from his lap and rested his elbows heavily on the table, and he looked expectantly at me. I sat up straighter under his strong gaze.

"Now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way, and I've calmed Ruffnut and Tuffnut down, I need some answers from you, miss. What is your name?"

I placed my hands on the table in front of me. This conversation would take a while, I could tell. There must have been a thousand questions that Hiccup wanted to ask me. As nice as he was towards me, I had to remain cautious. I knew that his hospitality would only go so far. _No more smiling until I figure out his motives._ I took a quick breath before I responded to him.

"My name is Elsa."

Hiccup nodded. "Okay Elsa. Where are you from? Are there any dangerous Viking chiefs that rule over your village or live near you? I need to know if you are being hunted by anyone who would bring harm to us here in Berk."

I paused. There was no way that I could tell him about being from Arendelle. What if he told other Vikings about us? Or if not Hiccup, then what if Ruffnut or Tuffnut told their friends and they contacted other Viking chiefs? I wouldn't risk my kingdom to the mercy of these mysterious Vikings.

"No. I come from the town of Heimdall, on the mainland south of here. There are no Vikings close by that I know of."

I used the town's name randomly. It was a small fishing village that I had heard Kristoff had visited once or twice. He always mentioned how it wasn't too far from Arendelle and there were gorgeous views of the sea. Even if Hiccup had never been to the mainland before, or had no knowledge of the lands south of this village, I needed to make sure that my story was foolproof (or at least as believable as I could make it).

I had to withhold some of my knowledge from him.

There was no way that I was revealing that I was a ruling monarch to some people that I had just met. Even their chief. No matter how welcoming he was towards me.

What if they came to Arendelle and terrorized us with their tamed dragons? And if they brought other Vikings with them? Ones that were worse and even more ruthless? I had to value the safety of my people over anything else.

Hiccup was oblivious to my internal struggle. I didn't dare let my emotions show on my face. "That's good. So, we'll have no need to worry then."

"Yes," I only nodded at him, then continued, "you won't have to worry at all. Actually, you are the first Vikings that I have ever met before. I have only heard local stories of the powerful Viking tribes that have ruled the lands up north. It seems that the stories are true."

"Yes. They are indeed." Hiccup replied. He smiled at me again.

Suddenly, he pushed himself up off of the bench and pushed it out behind him. He walked over to my side of the table and braced his hands on the wood, leaning in towards me. A bigger grin stretched across his face. I could see his eyes light up.

"Would you like to see the rest of Berk? I know that you must be so confused and disoriented right now. I think that a tour would help you to get to know our village better and find your way around."

I smiled politely, and nodded at him. "Okay. It won't take too long – will it? I would appreciate a short orientation to the village. All these houses and cobblestone roads look the same to me and I'd like to not get lost all the time."

Hiccup only nodded, "No. Not long at all."

He was still grinning. I wasn't sure entirely if I could trust him word for word, but his interest seemed genuine enough. His level of excitement would be a hard thing to fake. Just as long as we weren't gone too long. I didn't want to appear too suspicious to him or the others for my hesitation for not wanting to be out long.

I let the small smile stay on my face as I replied quietly, "Thank you."

Standing up, I pushed back the wooden bench. Ruffnut and Tuffnut rose beside me. Ruffnut groaned from behind me. "Come on, Hiccup!" She said in a joking tone. "You know that Tuff and I can give her the tour just as well as you can. Why the personal treatment? And anyways, you could let us do it and go spend some time with Astrid."

Even though she was poking fun at the chieftain I didn't fail to notice the undertone of distrust in her voice. She clearly didn't trust me. Why? Ruffnut seemed like a pleasant enough girl. Yet, no matter how much I wanted to ignore it, I was an outsider to these people.

Even a nice girl like Ruffnut could change in an instant when faced with a threat from the outside. I grimly understood her negative reaction towards me. An unexpected visitor showing up randomly – running around and provoking their dragons no less. If something like that were to happen at the main plaza back in Arendelle I would probably act similarly. A sliver of dread filled my stomach. I hoped that Anna and Kristoff were managing well enough without me. I had only been gone for a few days.

"Calm down, Ruff. I'm just being friendly. It won't take long. I'll go to visit Astrid afterwards – she really slept in this morning. I haven't seen her all day."

I sighed. Maybe I was asking too much of him? He was a busy chieftain, and there must be a dozen things that he needed to get done today. Ruffnut and Tuffnut surely wanted me out of his way. Maybe it was pointless trying to befriend their chieftain, if I was only going to be treated like a prisoner. Hiccup glanced back to me again.

He shook his head at Tuffnut's continued annoyance towards me, and smiled reassuringly, almost as if he sensed my hesitation. "Come on Elsa, let's get going. Don't let those two get to you. They're just startled by your sudden appearance. I didn't exactly warn anyone that I had brought a near-drowned village girl into Berk."

"Thank you, Hiccup." I _was_ grateful for his hospitality. That aspect of him I didn't doubt was true.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut walked out from behind the bench and went over to join Hiccup. I followed suit, standing up quickly so that I could follow behind them. As I padded across the rough stones, I pondered my situation. Hiccup seemed genuine enough, but it might only be a well-crafted façade – or at least a mixture of half-truths. I still had to question his motives: What was it that he wanted from me? I needed to find out – without alerting Hiccup or the other Vikings of my own motivations.

I could read the two blond twins' motives easily enough, but Hiccup's…. It seemed to be a two-way street with him. On one hand, he might be entirely genuine in his interests towards me – his enthusiasm and defense of me proved that much. Yet, on the other side, his caring nature might just be a well-crafted, fabricated ploy to gain my trust. I knew that I had to keep my guard up. I had to continue to keep my main priorities in line: find a way home, and protect Arendelle from being invaded.

Just as we walked pass the blazing firepit and started to head towards the massive wooden doors leading to the snowy outside beyond, an insistent banging sounded through the Great Hall.

"Who is that?" I called to Hiccup – making sure to keep my voice timid and worried. It was better if he thought I was a scared village girl. He would be less likely to suspect that I held any seat of power.

He looked over to me. "Oh, probably just some villagers who are cold and want to be let back in. I did talk with you guys for a while. I'll run and grab the door for them. Just stay here."

I stopped walking, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut came to a stop beside me. Ruffnut was still grumbling about Hiccup's offer to give me a tour of the village. I looked towards the massive door, waiting.

Hiccup had reached the entrance by now, and he easily pulled the left door open. He held it with his left hand as he turned to speak to the villagers. Only it wasn't the faces of the cold villagers that I saw – it was an old woman.

She held some kind of staff in her hand, and Hiccup stood bolted to the floor. I saw him tense up. Who was she? Quickly, Hiccup ushered her inside, and he slammed the door closed. He turned around quickly and faced the old woman – our tour forgotten. I walked over to them briskly, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut jogged with me.

As I neared the two of them, I could see true, genuine worry written over Hiccup's face. Tuffnut and Ruffnut ran around me and went over to join him. They were breathing hard and seemed just as worried as him.

"What is it Gothi?" Hiccup asked – I could hear the desperation in his voice. Aparently his façade was gone; there was no doubting his worry. What power did this elder woman have over a chieftain to make him loose his composure?

The old lady just looked at him sadly and I noticed that she began to scribble something on the ground with her staff. She stood in one of the few dirt patches in the building, and I could see a picture closely resembling a skull and crossbones forming. Oh no. I knew what that meant.

Hiccup only gaped at her. The old lady – Gothi – continued, drawing another picture in the dirt. She must have been some kind of local wise woman. Maybe a healer?

She had numerous gourds and strands of beads hanging from her staff. I wondered what they were for. What they did. Maybe they could help with this situation? But even though I hoped, I knew there was no way to fix this. My mouth automatically formed a frown, but I forced myself to remain impassive. I couldn't reveal that I knew anything to them. I only stilled my face and cocked my head in confusion.

I looked down at the dirt again. There were some characters written there. Maybe a name? I had no idea what it was supposed to spell. I couldn't read the northern languages. But as I looked up again at Hiccup and the other two Vikings, I saw that they only stared silently at that symbol in the dirt. Gothi stood still. Only watching them.

"No, that can't be true." The old woman only nodded again. Tears filled Hiccup's eyes. All of a sudden, a shudder wracked Hiccup's body, and a loud sob escaped him. I saw tears running down his cheeks. He sunk to his knees in grief, and banged the ground with his fists.

"No. No. No. NO!" he yelled. His sobs grew louder. All I heard were his sobs. The room was dead silent.

After a few minutes, he took some deep breaths and looked up at Gothi. Hiccup's eyes were rimmed in red and his face was full of pain and anguish.

"A-are you sure Gothi?" he asked the old woman. She only nodded in response. I saw tears running down both Tuffnut and Ruffnut's faces. They seemed as shocked as Hiccup did.

"C-can I see her?" Hiccup asked. He struggled to get the words out. Gothi only nodded and reached down to help him up. It was difficult for me to remain calm – unknowing – while I stared at his tear-streaked face. I struggled to maintain my own façade – I needed to pretend I didn't know what had just happened.

Slowly, Gothi helped Hiccup off of the floor and walked with him slowly towards the door of the Great Hall. I had to figure out who he grieved for.

"Hiccup, what happened?" I called to him, making sure to not sound sympathetic. He only looked at me and glared. Then he turned away. Only Ruffnut turned to answer me.

"Can you not guess, _Elsa_?" She said my name with such disdain and pure hatred that I flinched. "The love of his life just died!"

I didn't respond to her. The world around me stopped spinning. I only sunk to the floor in shock as Ruffnut turned away and joined the others. As much as I tried to ignore it, I knew that this was my fault. Distantly, I heard the door open and the freezing winds blew in, but I felt none of it. The door suddenly slammed shut and I realized that they had all left me here alone in the Great Hall.

I didn't even care at all in that moment. I only fell onto the ground and cried. Hating myself for ever being brought to Berk at all.

Readers: Thank you for taking the time to view and read my story. I really appreciate seeing that you guys like it! Also, please leave any comments that you have for me in the review/comment box below (no profanity please). Your feedback and constructive criticism would really help me to improve this story.


	4. Chapter 4: A Guilty Conscience

Chapter 4 – A Guilty Conscience

After at least ten minutes of bawling my eyes out, I finally gathered the strength to stand up. Shakily, I stood up off of the hard, stone floor and slowly walked over to the edge of the massive firepit. I sat, dejected and miserable, onto the smooth basalt. The sweltering heat from the fire warmed me, but it couldn't melt the ice that I felt now in my soul. Listening to the roaring flames behind me, I watched the long shadows flicker across the ground. I wasn't able to think straight. Ruffnut's words still shocked me. _The love of his life just died. _

It was all my fault. If Hiccup hadn't brought me here, he could have saved the girl he loved. His selfless choice to save me from that freezing sea left him unable to help. I felt horrible. What was there that I could even do to make it up to him? He had saved my life and even defended me against his friends who thought that I was a spy.

Nothing. I had never even met this girl, but I knew that Hiccup would blame me for her death for the rest of my life. Any trust from him was impossible. I only hoped that one day he would forgive me.

I couldn't stay here in their Great Hall. How could I? Surely once the rest of the village found out about the girl's death, they would hunt me down and punish me somehow. I did not want to stay and endure their disappointment and angry, grief-filled glares.

I had to go. Leave. Escape this Great Hall and not intertwine myself into the complicated fabric of the lives of these Vikings. Even though I really did like Hiccup, I knew that he would not want to talk to me – no matter how much I apologized. I still had no idea of his true motives. So why should I stay? Guilt weighing heavy on my heart, I rose up from the stone barrier and made my way to the massive wooden door that led outside.

My footsteps echoed heavily on the uneven stone floor. Being in such a large space, the noise grew louder and louder until it was all I heard. My ears were ringing. The unending, monotonous sound resonated in my heart. Even deeper in my soul. _The love of his life just died. The. Love. Of. His. Life. Just. Died. _I eventually reached the door and laid my head against the dark wood. Those words continued to reverberate around in my head, even after I had stopped walking, and they soon grew louder and louder and louder –

I banged my head violently against the door to clear away those poisonous thoughts. They vanished just as easily as putting out a fire – the worst of the flames had gone, but there were still lingering coals and the noxious smoke left. It was all eating away at me slowly. My forehead ached; a worthy pain to have instead of my aching, guilty conscience. I wouldn't let that grief, that sadness, that shock, weigh me down and break my soul. Not yet at least.

I knew that I would not be able to keep those feelings at bay for long. I hoped that I could gain Hiccup's forgiveness soon before that strangling vice of my guilt overtook me. I wouldn't let myself hurt anyone so badly again. Not after what happened with Anna. Even though that was years ago, it still haunted me.

Yet I couldn't chase away my guilt entirely. It remained in the back of my mind, subdued, but still vivacious and strong – slowly eating away at me.

That insistent voice nagged at me, pushed me, compelled me to leave their Great Hall. I had to go. Finally lifting my head up off of the door, I reached out with my trembling hand and grasped the massive, curved, iron handle and pulled it towards me. Grunting with the effort, I struggled to open the heavy door, but I managed. I ended up having to grab the handle with both of my hands, and the metal burned slightly from the winter's cold air. I pulled with all of my strength, and dug my heels into the dirt that lingered at the entrance.

Leaning back, I kept my arms straight as I let gravity do most of the heavy lifting, my muscles groaning from inactivity and soreness, but the door finally opened with a loud creak as the wood groaned. It swung open to reveal the blowing winds and frigid, stinging snow.

Releasing the iron handle, I panted softly as I regained my breath. The cold still did not bother me, even as my breath fogged up in front of me and the freezing snow rushed inside the dark hall.

Glancing back one last time at the huge firepit and the wooden bench where I had met the nice Chief Hiccup, I turned away and walked out into the cold. Once I stepped out onto the stone steps that led down to the dirt trail leading up to the Great Hall, I reached behind me with my right hand and grabbed the iron ring. Groaning quietly at the effort, I managed to pull the door shut again, and it slammed closed with a massive bang.

Only then did I look up and see the shocked faces of the bewildered villagers, all freezing from being out in the blistering cold. I only blinked at them. But suddenly, I remembered my role as the disoriented, cold girl and resumed my fake shivering.

They stared at me in silence, confusion marring their faces. "I-I'll just be on my way."

I said, quietly, hoping that they would buy my act and overlook me. Anyways, they had to go and comfort their chieftain, right? One quiet, blond girl would not stand out to them. One man, in the front of the shivering crowd, looked me over once, but only nodded in understanding. He was stocky and rotund, with a deep gold mustache, hook hand, and a peg leg. His eyes had a solemn look to them – similar to my own that I was sure that they could all see. Except mine wasn't grief; it was guilt.

They had all seen Hiccup run out of the Great Hall distraught over his lover's death. They must all be feeling varying levels of shock and sadness. I glanced at the man, catching his eye for only a second as I too nodded my thanks and walked slowly down the stone steps and along the winding dirt trail. The crowd parted slightly before me, letting me slip between them easily. I weaved skillfully between their large bodies, all of them outfitted in warm fur vests, thick leather pants, and knee-length boots. I fit in among them with no trouble, no effort at all. As soon as I passed, they went back to their own business – as if I had never even existed.

Quickening my pace, my feet pounded the snow-covered dirt with a growing urgency. The confusion and uproar of the villagers behind me faded as I made my way down the steep incline away from The Great Hall. The hall was situated on top of a giant hill that towered over the rest of the village, and as I wandered along the streets in search of an escape (feigning my sadness and shivering the whole way), I spotted a sprawling forest that reached far beyond the domain of the village.

Perfect. There were no houses that I could discern in that outward expanse of forest. I directed myself down the sloped cobblestone streets towards the towering emerald pines.

The village wasn't too large, but I still passed by a few onlookers in the street. I never fully looked at them, making sure to always keep my head down as I quickened my steps. I hurried my pace towards the dark forest. The snow had transformed into more of a cold, sleeting rain, but I only lifted up my arm to cover my eyes and continued through the worsening weather. I was intent on reaching the forest no matter the struggles and people I had to pass to make it there. A dampened smell of tree bark, sodden hay, and damp furs assaulted my nose. The smells were so unfamiliar to me. Almost instinctively, my breathing sped up. The unfamiliarity and sheer newness of the people, dragons, and my growing sense of dread only acted as catalysts to my mounting fears.

Why did I place my trust in Hiccup? Was it because he truly was kind? Yet, maybe it was only a façade. Even though he did admit to saving my life…. No. It was wrong of me to trust him so easily. Maybe he was only trying to draw information out of me until he figured out where I had really come from. This village was situated in the middle of the frozen northern seas, and I could see no close islands or the mainland from my vantagepoint out to the sea. These people – these Vikings – must want money, or at least the finer things and wares from the mainland. If not material goods, then they must be hungering for a foothold on the mainland – a military outpost perhaps.

If that was true, Hiccup would come after Arendelle. These strong, massive, stocky Viking people would fly in on their fire-breathing dragon beasts and wreak havoc on my kingdom. They could find Anna, and take her from me. They would burn my kingdom to cinders. Shame my family legacy and snuff out our very existence. No trace of Arendelle would remain – our kingdom would become the start of a Viking empire.

If not the total destruction and desecration of Arendelle, then they would force me to become an unwilling bartering chip. I could not let that happen. I wouldn't. No matter how nice Chief Hiccup seemed to be – even with his offer to show me around Berk – it might all be an elaborate trap to pull out information from me.

My control on my powers weakened more and more as I distanced myself from the village. My guilt grew stronger and was tightening slowly around my throat in a choking embrace. That guilt of causing the death of the chieftain's lover, and my growing fear over Arendelle's safety was suffocating.

The wooden houses and the stone streets began to fade away, and the faces of the townspeople disappeared until I encountered only cold air and howling winds. The streets soon turned to dirt, and the houses were replaced by towering pines and trembling birch trees. My pace did not slow. My fears only grew with every step. With the protection of the pine needles, the effect of the cold rain lessened until all I felt was a freezing mist that coated my face. My breath floated in front of me in hazy clouds.

The cold did not bother me, but the wetness from the rain and fog had begun to seep into my bones. Still on a defined path, I weaved my way between the trees until I spotted a large tree that had fallen, blocking the path in front of me. It was so massive in diameter that I could not see over it, even when I jumped. Tired from my quick escapade, I walked the remaining twenty feet to the base of the fallen pine and sat against it.

Only then did I let myself break.

Unbound, and alone, I raised my hands and the power just flew out of me. Ice coated the ground in thin sheets, and branches from the trees froze instantly, and some of the closer limbs began to fall onto the ground. They shattered on impact – my ice so strong from the intensity of my grief and guilt. I didn't care. No one was here to see it anyway. Even if someone passed by, I could blame the broken branches on the harsh winter weather. The air surrounding me even solidified to a damp, heavy mist, making it near to impossible for me to see five feet in front of me.

A lone tear rolled down my cheek. Alone in the cold woods, now covered in ice, I felt a sob claw up my throat. I fought against it, resisting the urge to cry, but it burned like a raging fire in my throat and I couldn't stop it. My grief escaped me in a shuddering gasp, and my eyes burned, the tears running down my face more forcefully now.

I only laid down and sobbed, my tears coating the ice beneath me and soon crystalizing themselves. My cries of anguish went unheard among the dark pines. After five minutes, I decided that I needed to calm down and control my emotions once again. _Conceal, don't feel._ I let out a bitter chuckle at those words, laced with so much fear from before. Yet the rules of Arendelle, the rules that I was free to be who I was, didn't seem to apply in this harsh, cold place – not when these Vikings didn't know the real me, and the powers that I possessed.

There was no way in a thousand years I would tell them my true identity – I could not risk even telling them of Arendelle's existence. It was better that they knew nothing of my true rank and origins. I just needed to find a map and a way to get home.

Suddenly a loud roar sounded through the trees, and I heard the massive body of a tree slam forcefully into the ground. Its heavy impact shook the ground below me. I sat up off of the icy dirt. The beast was close by.

At once, my ice-laden mist turned translucent, and the coat of ice that had been spreading across the trees halted. Based off of the sheer volume and ferocity, I guessed that this huge creature was another dragon. A primal sense of fear rattled me.

My heartrate sped up, but before it could become any worse, I took a large, deep breath and calmed myself down. My thundering heartbeat didn't slow, but it was enough to still my panicking. Slowly, cautiously, I rose up from my crouched position on the ground and scanned my surroundings, intent on finding where the dragon was. Not soon after I began searching the surrounding trees, I spotted a whole grove of downed pines only a dozen yards to my left. The dragon was there – so close to me.

This beast seemed quite massive. Taking out a few dozen trees was no easy feat. Determined to find out where the beast had gone, I carefully traversed across my ice that coated the ground, and shielded my eyes against the onslaught of blowing wind and cold sleet. My loose hair whipped around me, the wind pulling at me from every direction.

After a few steps, I reached the start of the thicker pines. Grabbing at their weathered trunks to keep myself upright, I lifted up my feet to avoid tripping or stumbling on the fallen branches. The cold branches brushed against my face in a harsh caress, and gripped at my hair as I passed. I continued on, intent on finding this dragon.

Not soon later I reached the clearing of the beast's destruction. On closer inspection, I saw that some of the branches and even the trunks had caught on fire – the heat shimmered in the cold air. That brutal heat melted the falling sleet – which had turned back to snow again – and not even the harsh winds could put out those raging fires. The tall, thick grove of trees had been reduced to an open clearing full of burning branches, trampled leaves, massive tree trunks, and huge, tell-tale footprints from a dragon. The creature's feet had flattened the emerald pine needles into a solid, living carpet of green. It was beautiful, and had a raw, harshness that I had never seen the likes of except out on the North Mountain.

I wasn't marveling at the beast's destruction for long until a strong wind buffeted the trees above me and swirled the rising smoke into a dark, icy, fiery whirlwind. I looked up, and gaped at the sight of a massive, dark orange dragon flying over the clearing. The creature's wingspan must have been at least fifty feet in length, and I noticed that heat rippled off of the beast's body. Narrowing my eyes, I noticed that the dragon had lit itself on fire.

I couldn't process what I was seeing. How could an animal engulf itself in flame? I had never seen a more terrifying or physically advantageous ability. Abruptly, the beast flew upward and spiraled down in a flaming loop of death. It flew right at me. I screeched, but it only came out as a small squeak due to the shock that had flooded my system. My limbs froze up with terror, and I stood rooted to the ground in a stupor. My arms were shaking; my power abandoned me – I was unable to access it due to my fear. I doubted that having it would even do any good against a beast as massive and ferocious as this dragon was.

The beast curved up sharply, ten feet from the ground, and it finally reached me. The dragon's toothy jaw, and long, angular face passed me in a blur. So caught up in my shock, I didn't notice the hairy, muscular arm that reached out and grabbed my waist. My body sagged as gravity took over, and I was thrown haphazardly behind the rider onto the scaly neck of the orange dragon.

The beast soared up above the forest, and as we gained altitude, I clutched the creature's neck desperately and whipped my head around to face my captor. The strong winds had blown my hair into my face, and I gripped it in my hand and pushed it out of the way so that I could see.

There was a young man who sat in front of me. He too wore a metal-plated Viking helmet outfitted in curled, sharp horns. Ebony black hair reached down to his ears, and I could see that he had tied it up into a small ponytail. The man did not speak to me, intent on steering the massive dragon, but as soon as we reached a calm air current, he turned to face me. I pushed myself up with my other hand and reached out to grab one of the dragon's wavy spines in between my legs.

His dark brown eyes stared at me, a smile on his face. "Hey Astrid, what were you doing in the forest…?"

He trailed off as he studied my face more intently. I only stared back at him. "Who are you?" I said, my voice growing desperate. He had to hear the worry that laced my words.

"Where are you taking me?" The man didn't reply. He only looked at me a second longer before he laughed. I ignored him.

"Take me back to the forest." I said forcefully to him. The brown-eyed Viking man only smirked at me. I continued to stare him down.

"Oh, you mean me, lady? I don't take orders from women I don't know." The man laughed again, a roughish smirk filling his face. I looked away from him, intent on figuring out where he was taking me before I talked to him.

We continued to fly further away from the burning clearing. I didn't want to get lost. But as I scanned the ground below us, and as the wind whipped past me at a breakneck speed, I saw the village of Berk. In my stupor, the man had turned the dragon around and was taking me back towards Berk. This man was taking me home. No. Not home. It was only temporary.

The man waved his meaty palm in front of my face. "Hey lady, are you gonna tell me your name? 'Cause I'd like to know who the pretty beauty is that I saved. If you're not Astrid, then who are you? Where did you come from?"

"I'm Elsa." I responded to him quickly, narrowing my eyes in annoyance at his swaggering tone. Before he could say anything else, I spoke again. "And who are you? Can you take me back to Berk?"

The man's smile grew wider, and he even flexed his biceps at me. I shuddered uncomfortably. This arrogant Viking man was getting on my nerves. Some of my fear diminished as a growing anger took its place.

"Of course I can. As a matter of fact, I was heading there myself before I ran into you and noticed that you looked a lot like my friend Astrid. I picked you up off the ground, and I guess it was just a case of mistaken identity. Oh well. And just for your reference, I'm Snotlout." He winked at me, and his satisfied grin stayed on his face.

I thought that I even saw his chest puff out. What an ego this man had. And his cocky tone… it was grating on my nerves. My fear gradually started to fade.

"Good." I replied to him. The man – Snotlout – paused in his gloating and stared at me intently, suddenly. I just looked at him, and focused my attention instead on the beating of his dragon's wings. I was grateful that I wasn't as scared to ride atop a dragon as I had been this morning. I couldn't believe that it was still the same day. I felt like a week had passed. Maybe even a month.

"You're not a spy, are you?" He asked suspiciously.

I scoffed at his vivid imagination. "Of course I'm not. Do you really think that I would fake knowing about Berk?"

"I don't know. Spies do things like that." Snotlout replied. I glared at him, my anger surging.

Sighing, I took a deep breath in through my nose. I had to calm down, rash anger would get me nowhere with this man.

"I need you to take me to Berk." I said simply.

"I am. Didn't you hear me?" His suspicion had faded into a subtle frustration.

"Yes. Can you take me to Chief Hiccup?" Snotlout looked at me funny for a second, before breaking out into a chortling laugh.

"Hiccup!" He yelled at me, chuckling. "You want to see scrawny little Hiccup? The little chief man? The leader of the village?"

I could hear the taunting and teasing in his voice.

"Why not just hang out with me here? I could take you to some secluded spot, and we could get to know each other…."

This man was insufferable. His womanizing personality bothered me. How did he even know Hiccup? I hoped that they weren't friends, but from the way Snotlout talked about him, I had no doubt that the two of them were quite close.

"I will pass. Just take me to Hiccup please." I told him, trying to keep my voice even, calm. It was difficult to keep my annoyance at him in check.

"Fine. Fine. So pushy." He muttered to himself, turning back around to continue to steer his dragon again. At least I assumed it was his dragon.

As we neared Berk, and Snotlout directed the dragon lower, closer to the ground and the tops of the wooden houses. I stared out across at those houses, my anger fading. The freezing wind continued to blow, howling in my ears. My anger gone, the heavy guilt I had left behind in that burnt field returned with a stronger pull. My eyes burned, and I could feel tears forming yet again. My breathing sped up, out of my control. I panted, gasping, trying to calm myself.

But the wind was blowing so quickly past me that I had no time to catch my breath. The houses grew closer still, and then I discerned the outline of the Great Hall in the distance, embedded in stone. Wind burned my eyes, and I struggled to keep from crying. It was hard for me to see. The world blurred before me.

Snotlout had turned around while I was absorbed in my grief and was watching me.

"Are you okay?" He asked me quietly. All of the arrogance in his voice was gone.

"I'm fine." I replied, jerking my head left to face him. My eyes still hazy, I blinked quickly to clear away the emotion, the tears still in my eyes. But it was too much, I couldn't make it fade away entirely. A lone tear slid down my cheek.

My vision clearing, I turned away from Snotlout again, this time looking out towards the Great Hall. I knew he noticed my change in emotion. If not my tears too.

"Actually," I asked him, my sadness under control again, "now that we are closer to Berk, could you drop me off at the Great Hall? I need to find Hiccup. He went with some old, healing lady – Gothi was her name. Do you know where she would have taken Hiccup?"

Snotlout didn't respond immediately. "G-Gothi?" He stammered.

"Yes."

"Yeah. Of course I know where she lives. I can totally take you there, l- Elsa." He corrected himself.

It wasn't hard to notice Snotlout's hesitation, not at me, but at why Hiccup was with Gothi in the first place. I didn't have the strength to tell him.

I bit my lip, still not looking at him. My throat bobbed. "Thank you Snotlout."

I didn't push him to say more. He didn't. I knew that his cocky attitude had faded, and had been replaced by worry. Worry that I had brought upon him. Somewhere deep within me I knew that the same woman Hiccup grieved for was Snotlout's friend too. His silence said enough. My spirits sunk. But he would have figured out eventually. It was probably better that he found out from me and not the other way around.

I was relieved though that Snotlout knew where Gothi lived. Finding Hiccup as soon as possible was my main priority now. If I got lost somehow that would only slow me down, and I wanted to apologize to him before he wrote me off entirely.

At some point Snotlout had turned away from me again, and he had turned the orange dragon slightly to the left. I heard the dragon's wings beat harder, and we gained altitude as he directed us towards one of the towering cliffs that rimed the edges of Berk. When we neared to few lone peaks that stood surrounded by ocean, and the cries of the gulls, Snotlout angled us right this time. A strange-looking house came into view.

With no visible access to it from the ground, only the sea and steep rocks that had no way up, I wondered how anyone could live in such an isolated home. The dragon's wings continued to beat, and we were now only a hundred feet away from the mysterious hut. Snotlout yelled to me over the wind, not turning around so that he could continue to steer us towards the house.

"Get ready to jump Elsa!" he yelled to me. My muscles tensed. This must be Gothi's house then. We had arrived.

All of a sudden, the orange dragon turned sharply to the right and halted, flapping in midair, but not moving forward. I was thrown sideways from the abrupt turn, but was able to grab the spine in front of me and not fall off the beast's neck. Panting, I hung on tightly to the dragon's neck, looking around wildly for solid ground.

After a few tense seconds, I spotted numerous wooden planks laid out flat that rested ten feet below me. As I glanced out further, I noticed that the planks were part of the strange house. They had been nailed into support beams, and tied together haphazardly with a long length of twine. Bits of metal stuck out randomly from the wood. I assumed that they would hold my weight. If an elderly woman lived and walked around up here then surely, I wouldn't fall through jumping.

Carefully, I swung my right leg over the beast's neck so that I was sitting fully saddle side. Grabbing one spine to my left and another to my right, I held on with a death grip as I maneuvered my legs below me. Pulling my knees up, I was able to position my feet under me so that they now rested on the dragon's scaly neck. Looking down, I could see that the drop (if I fell) was not too far, only 20 feet or so, but it led straight into the roiling sea. I didn't want to let Snotlout think that I was incapable of jumping off his dragon.

"Hurry up Elsa!" Snotlout called to me. "We can't wait here all day for you to make up your mind!"

The rough-hewn leather pants rubbed against my legs – I could feel my knees shaking at the effort of holding the rest of my body steady. The dragon continuously moved up and down, it was never truly still. It unnerved me.

"Okay – just give me a second!" I yelled back to him. I didn't want to be too rushed – I had never dismounted a dragon before! Inhaling deeply through my nose, I braced myself for the jump.

Tensing my legs, I released the two wavy spines and leaped up off of the dragon's long neck. My quads burned with the sudden movement, but I quickly flew upwards into the air. The cold winds rushed past me, whipping my hair around my face. I couldn't see. My hair had become a cream-colored curtain that obscured my vision. Confident that I was still going in the right direction, I focused on calming myself.

Suddenly, a giant gust of wind flipped me over. Snotlout's dragon. He had accelerated and gone to land. I screamed, exhilarated but also fearing for my safety as I careened towards the wooden deck. In only a matter of milliseconds, I rammed into the hard, wooden planks.

I hit first on my back, then my hips and legs followed. Landing on my left side, I clutched my head tightly as I rolled across the deck. Luckily, I had instinctively grabbed my head with my hands, so I had no immediate injuries or a concussion. However, my back was screaming at me in pain and my legs were throbbing.

What kind of a 'jump' was that? How did Snotlout expect me to land properly, after he had sent me spinning from the downdraft of his dragon's wings? I groaned, struggling to regain my bearings.

Pulling my hair out of my face with both hands, I weakly lifted my head up off of the wooden deck. Placing my left arm under me, I rested my elbow on the ground as I looked around at the healing lady's hut. Snotlout was nowhere in sight, but I could hear his loud, obnoxious voice coming from inside the elderly lady's house.

Of course he had beaten me there.

Readers: Thank you for taking the time to view and read my story. I really appreciate seeing that you guys like it! Also, please leave any comments that you have for me in the review/comment box below (no profanity please). Your feedback and constructive criticism would really help me to improve this story.


	5. Chapter 5: A Purpose and A Memory

Chapter 5 – A Purpose and A Memory

Snotlout was yelling loudly at the elderly lady about something. I could barely make out what he was saying. I still lay in an aching heap on the pine deck, moaning at my aching body.

I was already regretting taking that jump off of Snotlout's dragon. Why didn't I just ask him to land and then let me get off? Maybe Snotlout was testing me in some way by making me jump off. I had no idea. All I knew was that if he was conversing with the healing lady, he had probably forgotten about testing me.

A low groan escaped me as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. I quickly braced my two hands under me and pulled my legs under my body. I stood up, shaking slightly, but the pain had diminished enough that I could stand without limping.

Snow had caked onto my pants, and the rich green had become a muted olive-toned refraction. My hands were shaking slightly from my adrenaline surge, but I reached down and dusted off the melted snow. At the heat of my hands, the snow liquified further and stuck to my hands like a clingy paste. Another wintry gust of wind howled past me, and the icy water almost refroze onto my hands again instantly.

I could feel my fingers locking up. I had to head inside. My arms shaking now, I hurriedly glanced around at the healing lady's house. I stood at the end of her wooden dock. Yet here I stood only ten feet away from falling to certain death – or at least a shocking fall. Even though it had been disorienting, I knew that I would have been able to at least create some sort of an ice chute to slow my fall if I needed to.

Shuffling my feet over the boards, I turned and saw that they ended in uneven lengths. Leaning forward slightly and craning my neck, I could see a rough, dark navy sea pounding at the rocks below me. That would not have been a pleasant fall. I groaned. Why had Snotlout not been more considerate of me? Did he not notice that I was hesitating jumping off of his flaming dragon? He could have led me to a painful fall.

Even from up here, I could feel the cold ocean spray. With my frozen hands, misted face, and damp legs, it was hard for me to conceal my shivering. It wasn't fabricated this time. How could an old woman, with no visible form of transportation or quality health, live out here in this forlorn place? Why would she? It made no sense to me.

I'd have to ask the healing lady – Gothi – when I saw her. The gusty, frigid wind howled again, and this time I felt the tips of my fingers going numb. In a surge that was half adrenaline and half forced effort, I staggered along the misshapen planks heading forward to the front of the woman's house (and in part I followed Snotlout's obnoxiously loud voice).

The wind pushed against me forcefully, and I swayed slightly to each side as I stumbled towards the small hut. There was a massive, carved wooden ring that I passed by. It had three long ribbons tied to its' perimeter. I could make out that one of them was a bright red, and another was a vibrant green.

There were two long wooden boards that blocked off the long drop to the sea below, and I noticed that there were some small shields that had been nailed to the exterior side of the makeshift wooden fence. Probably to make the hut seem intimidating. It surely fit into the common scheme here of squat wooden houses that sported carved figures of dragons, mysterious runes, and ancient tales.

Abruptly, I stooped down to avoid a low-strung clothesline that was supported on two narrow wooden beams. No laundry room or washbasin then…. How civilized was this town? I had seen more and more open space and crude housing then there had ever been in the outskirts of Arendelle. Even Oaken's hut and sauna was better equipped than this miserable home! If I was indeed to be stranded here for an indefinite amount of time, my first goal would be introducing these Vikings to the pleasures of a washbasin and a proper hot room for saunas.

I continued to make my way closer to the curious structure. As I neared it, I saw that the woman's house was constructed within the abandoned half-skeleton of an imposing Viking ship. Gothi's front door was a flaming orange shield rimmed in bright steel, and I could make out the weathered design of a small, green, dragon-like animal that had been painted around the middle. It was breathing a small plume of fire and seemed to be chasing its' own tail.

Maybe the shield was some kind of talisman? I had no idea otherwise why a shield (a relatively useless door if I had to be honest) would be used in place of a piece of quality stained mahogany or pine.

Walking up the wooden steps quickly, I noticed that the handle was a curved piece of metal bolted onto the right side of the shield door. I grasped it tightly in my freezing hands, and yanked hard. The shield groaned at my use of force, it clearly needed some oil, but it parted for me. A wall of hot air rushed out, and the scent of woodsmoke assaulted my nose.

Snotlout's volume continued to increase. He was sure angry about something! Stepping forward through the threshold, I entered the small foyer of the house and pulled the shield door shut behind me.

Panting from the effort, I bent over and rested my hands on my knees while I regained my breath. The smoke burned slightly as I inhaled, and I coughed loudly to clear my throat. Loud footsteps sounded towards me.

Suddenly, Snotlout's meaty palm grasped my shoulder and he patted my back strongly.

"You okay there Elsa?" I continued to cough, wheezing slightly, but I nodded.

"Cheer up, it's just some smoke – it won't kill you!"

Snotlout's sheer strength was immense. I shook, wobbling, but with my hands braced firmly on my quads I remained upright. Exhaling strongly, the smoke concentration in my lungs finally died down to less toxic levels, and I was able to breathe. I was not as affected by the ashy gas now that I had some fresher air in my lungs. The longer I stayed in this hut, the more my tolerance to the smoke grew.

"L-Let go of me, Snotlout." I said to him; weakly at first, but as I took a few more breaths my voice grew stronger.

"Okay…" He said.

His hand moved off my back, but I felt his thick fingers grab my right bicep and pull me abruptly into a standing position. I jumped at his sudden show of force, but was able to regain my composure and stood straight-backed now. Snotlout was now fully visible to me, and as I looked at him, I noticed that I towered a good few inches above him. The curly horns of his iron helmet reached just to the top of my forehead. He stood a few inches in front of me, arms crossed over his chest.

"So," I said, "can you take me to Hiccup? I have no idea where Gothi is keeping him."

"Yeah, sure." Snotlout replied. His face was flushed slightly, and I could see the tip of his nose was red.

He turned away from me, towards the inner workings of Gothi's house. I looked after him, staring at a short wooden hall that led into a bigger antechamber room. He took a few steps, and I followed close behind. Looking out from behind him, I could see a large table, rug, and a few stools. There was also a massive iron sink resting of the floor to my right, and various cuts of meat hanging from the ceiling with twine. There were even dried fish intermixed with the meat. It was reassuring that these Vikings had some form of decent food – I was grateful to have been brought back to a semi-prosperous tribe.

"By the way," I said to Snotlout, my voice growing serious, "don't ever make me jump off your dragon again."

A shocked laugh escaped him.

"What?" I asked him, annoyed now at his sudden humorous reaction.

"_Don't make me jump off your dragon._" He mocked, laughing more.

"It was funny watching you. A real classy act there. You call yourself a Viking, yet when I found you, Hookfang freaked you out. And I thought that was understandable – I thought to myself: _Oh hey, maybe she's just from one of the rural towns that lives on one of the close by archipelagos! They don't have monstrous nightmares there_."

My anger abated for a moment, replaced with confusion. What was a _monstrous nightmare_? I had never heard the term before, although I assumed 'Hookfang' was the name of his dragon. Absurd choice. As for the former, he had to be referring the dragon species. That was the only logical conclusion I came to.

Snotlout's unexpected mockery provided me with some point information. Better to acquaint myself with the local species names – I'd be able to provide more accurate fodder for my own backstory. Yet, his strange monologue was also funny - I never knew that he had really thought of me as a Viking! I was nowhere near what he was like. Still, Snotlout's general, misinformed assumption would help me; it was better that he thought I was from here. I'd need to limit sharing my true origins. _Better that he thinks I'm a native_.

Snotlout continued: "But when we got to Gothi's house, that was when it became really hilarious – but also kind of sad. You hesitated for so long! So yeah, I felt kinda bad making you jump off of Hookfang, but I also wanted to see what you would do. Turns out you just have a horrible sense of balance!"

It was my fear though. That's why I had hesitated. But I didn't want to tell Snotlout that – he might ask questions. So, I just shook my head, dismissing his antics. "Okay, okay, stop making fun of me Snotlout."

His chuckled at me quietly, and I saw his shoulders shaking. "Fine, fine."

I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, I was free from Snotlout's crazy nagging and stupid jokes for a little bit.

Snotlout turned and looked back at me. He gestured to the room in front of us. "Here we are. I looked around for Gothi already, but she only ignored me. I assumed her silence meant that I was to stay put in the foyer. For some reason I think she knew you were coming and she wanted me to wait."

That was weird, but with my brief glimpse of Gothi earlier I didn't doubt that she possessed some kind of physic abilities. The woman wrote runes in the dirt for goodness sake! No matter how strange her methods may be, I appreciated her good sense in making Snotlout wait for me. It was better that he hadn't discovered my role in the death of Hiccup's lover yet. I _had_ to be the one to tell him.

"Maybe you should go and see if she'll let us in. I've already frayed her nerves too much. She's probably sick of my voice by now."

"Oh – okay." I wouldn't say no to Snotlout's abrupt, generous offer. It would be good too if I was able to speak to Hiccup first. Maybe I could mitigate the damage a bit and spare myself some of Snotlout's anger….

He pointed towards a dark wooden door along the wall at the other end of the room.

"Gothi's just in there." Snotlout said. I nodded, and walked over to the doorway.

The floorboards creaked under my feet, and I sidestepped around the stocky pine table that dominated the center of the room. There was also a worn sheepskin rug placed under the massive table, and some wooden stools. I assumed that this must be Gothi's 'briefing room' of sorts – she must have dozens of patients and family members to meet with daily. Hopefully I had already missed her conference with Chief Hiccup – I didn't want to see his grief-stricken face any more than I had to.

After a few more paces, I reached the door that led to Gothi. Grabbing the small bronze handle in my right hand, I gingerly pulled open the door. A faint layer of candle smoke drifted out, and I was able to see it, so I blew it away from me. Watery eyes wouldn't help me.

Stepping through the doorway, my feet creaked as I walked over more dark floorboards. I now stood in a narrow, short hallway. Quickly, I closed the door behind me, careful to twist the doorknob and keep as quiet as I could. This room had to be tiny. _Gothi and the Chief must be just at the end of this hall,_ I reasoned.

A dozen wax candles sat on the pine boards next to the walls on either side of me. A line of light from the main room also created long shadows on the boards. With the extra light, I could just make out a slightly larger room at the end of the last candle's flame. Keeping my hand on one of the dark wooden walls, I walked slowly towards the end of the short hall. It was maybe only twenty feet, and it took me all of a second. However, I stopped short at the sharp corner. Better that I wait then barge in.

"Gothi?" I spoke into the darkened room in front of me. "Snotlout told me that you wanted to speak with me? Also, can you take me to Chief Hiccup?"

After a second there was no response from the other room, but suddenly I heard the shuffling of footsteps. The thudding of another wooden implement soon followed the muted steps. That had to be Gothi. Thank goodness.

Just as I had expected, Gothi's short figure then rounded the corner. She nodded at me, a sorrowful look on her face. I moved my hand off the wall and wrung both nervously.

Looking me up and down quickly, she gave me a sad smile in sympathy. Grasping her staff tightly in her left hand, Gothi walked up to me and placed a strong hand on my back. Turning back to face the other room, she took a few steps forward, and motioned with her staff for me to walk with her. I guess she was taking me to the chief then.

Her hand was surprisingly warm. For such an old woman, Gothi had a strong presence. Together, we walked slowly across the floor, and then she took me around the corner.

The sight of a young man jarred me. He lay asleep curled up next to another figure under a simple white sheet. There was a heavy wool blanket draped over his figure, but I could make out a thick leather collar of a shirt on his neck. His hair was a dark brown, almost black in the low light, and I saw one of his arms had reached out. He was grasping something on the white bed. As we neared the man, I could make out white streaks that had dried on his face. They had to be tears.

Here on this short, plain bed had to be Chief Hiccup. My dread returned. A shudder wracked my body, and my stance wavered. Whipping my head side to side, I noticed that next to the chief was a small table with some candles and a short stool on the other side of the bed. Luckily, the stool was closest to me, so I rushed forward ahead of Gothi to the support. Taking a few quick steps, I reached the chair in a few short seconds and dropped onto it heavily. The floor rattled, and I saw one of the candles shake. Gasping, a few rapid breaths escaped me.

Gothi walked over to me and glared at me sternly. She gestured sharply to the sleeping chieftain and then turned back to me. My frantic breaths calmed immediately, but my dread only grew. Gothi only stared back at me. I had to be to one to wake Hiccup. She surely wouldn't do it for me.

Inhaling deeply, I glanced once more at the sleeping face of the chieftain. But my eyes caught on the figure he held. That had to be his lover….

Tears welled in my eyes, as I looked away, unable to look at the desolate sight. His sorrow reminded me of my own loss. I blinked my tears away, and stood up slowly.

Gothi nodded reassuringly. Taking the two steps up to the lip of the bed were some of the hardest. I reached my hand out over the corpse and lightly touched Hiccup's arm.

One of his green eyes shot open, and it took him a second to register that I was not Gothi. I pulled my hand back as soon as he realized I wasn't the healing lady. Instantly, he removed his hand from his lover and sat up quickly. Shock filled his eyes, but it was quickly snuffed out by an intense anger. He glowered at me. I only stood there and gazed back at him sorrowfully.

"I'm sorry." I said to him. There was nothing more I could say.

Hiccup only stayed still and glared, and his anger grew every second I continued to look at him. He was now shaking, and he held a hand to his chest. Inhaling deeply, he replied in a deep, firm voice.

"Get. Out. Before I throw you out."

I tried to reason with him. "But I came to apo-"

"I. Said. GET. OUT!" He yelled, and I shook at his words. His voice broke on the last word, and then he fell onto the bed again, turning away from me.

His desperation triggered something deep within me. My heartrate sped up, and my head spun. Stepping back from the bed, I tripped over my foot and crashed onto the floor. The wooden stool dug into my back, as I stifled a cry of pain. My skull banged into the hard wall behind me, as I lay in a pained heap on the floor. Gothi rushed towards me, but suddenly, a wall of black hit me and I tumbled into a dark oblivion.

…

_The ground bobbed and ebbed beneath me. Someone was shaking me. _

_"Wake up! Please!" It was a young man's voice. Blearily, my eyes opened, and I was staring up into a small sun. Confusion swamped me, but as my vision cleared some clarity came. _

_The sky was dark, but a man's face stared down at me. He looked at me in desperation, and I noticed that he held a bright torch in his hand. So, he held the sun…. and it was night. His eyes were a startling grass-green, and his brown hair was plastered to his head. It was raining then. _

_No. I couldn't feel any rain. I couldn't even feel my legs. My arms ached, but I could feel that I too was wet like him. What had happened? But I was too tired to stay awake. Everything faded to black, and I saw only the man's green eyes as I drifted…._

…

I awoke to the dark ceiling. Gothi was poking me cautiously with her staff, and I jolted upright. Holding my throbbing head, I struggled to retain my fragmented memory.

_So Hiccup had indeed saved me._ What he had told me was true. Chief Hiccup had saved me from drowning in that frozen sea.

Rising shakily onto my feet, I pulled the stool up from the ground next to me and fell onto it heavily. Shocked by my realization, I realized that I needed to stay.

I would stay and help Hiccup. The least I could do was forgive him for saving my life.

Readers: Thank you for taking the time to view and read my story. I really appreciate seeing that you guys like it! Also, please leave any comments that you have for me in the review/comment box below (no profanity please). Your feedback and constructive criticism would really help me to improve this story.


	6. Chapter 6: Stones and the Sea

Chapter 6 – Stones and the Sea

Panting, I held my aching head in one hand as I pulled myself up off of the hard floor. Blinking, my vision became clear again. Gothi continued to look down at me in concern, as if sensing the startling realization I had just discovered.

"I-I'm fine." I whispered to her, careful to not raise my voice much so I wouldn't disturb Hiccup.

In response, she only smiled at me sadly and held out the end of her staff to me. Gracious for her show of kindness, I reached out a hand and grasped the end of her staff with my trembling fingers.

Gothi pulled hard once, and with her assistance I sprung upright quickly. Back on my feet again, I swayed slightly, still holding my head. I was reeling from the unexpected flashback. _Hiccup had risked his own life to save me. _

It shocked me completely – and if the chieftain was considerate enough to save a complete stranger from certain death and house them then he deserved some of my respect. Yet I knew I needed to still remain cautious around him. Any hospitality towards me that he might display had most likely disappeared in the death of his lover. I didn't want to accidentally invoke any violence from him.

I had to get out of this room. I couldn't bear to look over at the chief's pitiful form or the ominous corpse. Catching her eye, I directed a grim smile of thanks towards Gothi, then I turned away from the white bed and snuck quickly out of the main room and into the tiny candle hallway.

The flames shook as I passed, and one sputtered out. I continued on towards the door stoically. Grabbing the wrought iron handle, I pulled the dark door open and stepped out into the bright main room.

Blinking quickly at the bright light, I jumped slightly at Snotlout's expectant face.

"So? Did you find Hiccup? Can I go and talk with him too? Is everything okay?" He asked me urgently.

I only nodded at him solemnly. "He's there. So is Gothi."

"Okay…. And?" He pressed.

"T-There's a girl in there too…." I hesitated, not wanting to really tell him the actuality of the situation. He would be furious at me.

He groaned at me. "Who is it Elsa? Stop making me drag the words out of you! It's annoying."

I only bit my lip, and inwardly I could feel my resolve start to break. _Keep it together. _

"I don't know." I said to him, dejected and wanting to leave. "When Gothi told Hiccup in the Great Hall she only wrote her name in runes."

Exasperated, Snotlout just shook his head at me. It seemed he hadn't picked up on the sheer level of my guilt yet – or at least he had not figured out yet that this woman was the chief's lover. "Fine. I'll go in and see him myself."

"Okay. I'll just head out then." I just wanted to escape. Never mind the fact that I had absolutely no idea how to get back to Berk….

Brushing past me, Snotlout tromped over to the small door and yanking it open. I breathed a sigh of relief as he slammed the door shut behind him.

Walking away from the forsaken door, I traversed around Gothi's small couch and table and turned right. In a few quick steps, I exited her kitchen and left Snotlout to deal with his own grief. I couldn't handle his glares too – I needed to find my way back to the village square and the house that I had woken up in.

I needed some time to ponder my situation. To try and come up with some way to encourage Hiccup to trust me again. Possibly the whole village. Who knows how they would react once they found out I was the culprit? Probably violently – knowing Vikings….

My untimely adventure into the Dark Sea had led to Hiccup being absent from Berk; and with his absence another cascade of lucky circumstances and timely actions resulted in the death of his lover. The fact that he was gone while rescuing me meant that the village (and therefore its' inhabitants) was left unprotected. My spirits sunk.

If there was going to be a funeral, it had to be only a day away. I didn't have much time. That was my best bet of being able to talk to the chieftain. He would not be able to avoid me out in the open daylight and grieving gazes of his fellow villagers.

I had to show them that I was truly sorry and wanted their forgiveness. I didn't want to cause such an uproar and leave everything in shambles. The funeral procession would also be a time where I could apologize to Chief Hiccup and it would not look out of place. Condolences would be common. This would not be like my coronation. I smiled to myself grimly.

I would fix everything this time. Time limits or no. All I needed now was a black garment and the most compelling, sincere apology these Vikings had ever seen. A show of force (even in wordy terms) would be the only way that I could truly gain the chief's attention. Even so, I knew deep down that this would be only the first step of many – my new quest to regain Hiccup's forgiveness would take more than just a few well-placed words.

I had to be ready to fully commit. To be able to go all the way.

In a way, I reflected to myself, this was like regaining and maintaining my trust with Anna. I had hurt her during all those years of solitude I had spent locked away in my room in the castle. Only now, after six years, had we become so trusting and in-sync as we were now. I wouldn't give up her trust in me for anything.

Now I just had to do the same with Chief Hiccup – and I was on a time limit. For every day I spent here on Berk, Anna and Kristoff were looking for me. The kingdom was looking for me. With their attention diverted they might even leave Arendelle open to attack. If not physical attack, then at the very least I didn't want to leave then in the dark of my whereabouts. I needed to build Hiccup's trust in me enough so that I could relocate Arendelle and send a message to Anna. I didn't want her to worry.

I reached the small foyer and could see the door, but as I stepped forward again I stumbled over a rock. Gasping, I ran forward a few steps before regaining my balance. My foot throbbed, and I as looked down to locate the rock (and move it) I saw that it was not a rock at all. It was a small green thing. Upon further inspection, I leaned down and noticed that it was a small, scaly, beastly thing.

A picture of what it was formed in my mind, and I shooed it away, but all of the sudden the animal moved its' head and my thoughts were confirmed. The beast on the floor was a small dragon.

Flinching slightly, I hurriedly looked away and stood dead silent and still as a board. Better not to startle the beast.

Tiptoeing around the small green dragon, I slowly walked towards the main door.

Unlatching it, I pulled the door open and was greeted by the frigid winds. Yet as I placed a booted foot outside the threshold, I faintly heard the tiny beast scuttle along the floor. My limbs locked up, and yet I could not fully prepare myself as the tiny dragon jumped up off the floor and latched itself onto my trailing leg.

The beast's tiny claws dug into my shin, and I couldn't control the quiet scream that escaped me. At my shriek, the dragon only flinched, but it was enough that I could dislodge it from my body. With a strong shake of my left leg, I held firmly onto the door as I felt the beast's claws loose their grip on my calf. A second later, the dragon flew off of my leg and landed with a loud _thump_ against the hardwood floor.

It cried out, mostly in shock, but a little in surprise at the unexpected removal. I felt a brief moment of pity for the little thing, but then I soon reminded myself that it was indeed a loosely trained dragon. I glanced back at the small creature before I stepped out fully into the wintry storm. It looked back at me with a sense of curiosity in its' eyes.

I shut the door softly, turning away. With the beast gone, I now wondered: Why would Gothi house a little dragon in her hut? It had to be some sort of pet. Otherwise, I could think of no other usage for such a small, untrained beast – unless she kept in around for food?

No. Even that would be too harsh. I shuddered at the thought, dismissing it immediately.

The wind blew strongly again, and I felt it burn at my nose and cheeks slightly. I held any shivering at bay. Goodness, this place was _freezing_! It was almost as cold as the Dark Sea. It annoyed me that I couldn't stay warm in this place; of course, I had to be stranded in the one place where my high tolerance towards cold proved ineffective. I would need to find a fur coat soon. Based off of how the other Vikings were outfitted, a warm coat was essential – even for me.

Looking around, I tried to locate some sort of staircase. _Gothi must have one_, I reasoned. She had to have some sort of secondary entrance, aside to the usual entrances via dragon. With someone at her age, dragon riding had to be wearing thin on her bodily endurance. I walked away from the door, down the stairs, and to the left of the house. Staying under the overhang of the house, I sidestepped around a large barrel and came to an abrupt drop (where Gothi's wooden deck ended suddenly).

Craning my neck outwards, I noticed a smaller, planked pathway lined with a fraying rope supported on wooden beams. It led further out, past the normal boundaries of the hut. I followed the path – and was not disappointed.

I turned left again and faced the side of the woman's house, and I noticed the start of a decrepit staircase leading down from the hut. The initial board stuck up from the rest of the planks, and I could see that the middle was bent inward. There was also a thinner beam that rose up above the walkway. It was greenish from the salt spray and exposure to the elements, and I assumed it was a sort of handhold for when Gothi descended from her home.

Taking a few more semi-cautious steps, I reached the start of the staircase. Looking down upon it, I saw that it was not in the best of shape: parts of boards were rotting, numerous barnacles lined each step, and sometimes a cold spray would rise up from a particularly strong wave and dust the steps in mist. It was not the most ideal location for a staircase, but I was grateful nonetheless. It definitely beat another harrowing ride atop Snotlout's dragon. At least here I could use my powers to save me if I fell – and nobody would know.

I walked forward a few paces, and glanced down at the soiled stairs. They didn't look too rotted – that was good – I didn't want to fall through after my first step! Looking up again, I noticed that Gothi had yet another rickety staircase that led up in a slow curve to the roof of her ship hut. Huh. That woman truly was prepared for anything. It made sense then why she was the local wise woman and healer. Gothi had an escape for every situation and food aplenty.

I crouched down and looked back out at the stairs below me. Grabbing the upraised wooden plank below my outstretched hands, I lowered my right foot onto the first board. It didn't wobble as I continued to place my weight on it, so I deemed the remainer of the staircase safe enough for me to traverse.

Yet I didn't want to take the chance of my weight buckling the planks, so I quickly placed my other foot down onto the same board. I bounced slightly, truly testing the boards. They only bent slightly at my weight. Phew. It seemed they were a lot stronger than they looked – even when caked in salty spray and brine. Leaning out a little, I saw that the staircase I was on was relatively short, and led to a short platform that dropped off with a sequential set of stairs. Good.

I hesitated for only a second, a bit afraid to truly go off on my own in a foreign land, but I regained my ambition. Snotlout would be better off with me gone – and I had done this same thing when I had ventured off to The North Mountain after my coronation. In a second, I tensed my muscles as I dashed down the creaking planks to the short landing.

I held up for a second, and took a few steps to the next longer set of stairs. I noticed that they formed a sort of angled ladder, and faced opposite of the flight I had just gone down. Yet it didn't hinder me in the slightest. I ran down about five plank steps until I paused. A strong gust of salty air blew against me. I wobbled slightly as I crouched there, but was able to maintain my balance. Handling a few gusty winds was nothing compared to running along the Dark Sea – at least nothing was roiling and ebbing.

After the winds died down, I quickly jumped off the middle of the staircase and fell the remaining three feet to the rocky ground. I landed squarely on a huge, oval rock that sloped down to the sea. The dark waters only rested a few feet down. On the ground now, the sea spray whipped my face, and it blew my loose hair around into curly torrents. Some landed in my face, and I paused to push it out of the way. Now I could see again fully.

Looking out from my elevated perch at the foot of Gothi's hut, I marveled at the sea. Even with the harsh snow and gray clouds, the water was beautiful and pure. Its' ruggedness called to me in a way that I had not seen before except with the power of the Dark Sea. Nature in its purest form, and Gothi lived right at the foot of it. This village existed at the foot of it.

Inhaling, I took a massive, long breath of the cold air. Snowflakes swirled in air eddies around me, and as happy as I was at the unexpected sight, I flicked my fingers and created some of my own to join in the dance. A small smile formed on my face. In different circumstances, I would be grateful to be here. I was though, in a way, yet with the guilt of my indirect cause of the chieftain's lover's death, I knew that I couldn't stay here and admire the scenery. My grin faded. At least not yet.

Breathing in the pure sea air once more, I turned away from the cloudy sea and jumped off of Gothi's rocky base. A few feet in front of me was the grassy, dusty, snowy land of Berk's outer limits, and I landed solidly on a patch of stones. Walking out, away from the lady's hut and the chief, I saw the rocks start to fade and be replaced by a dark grass and dusty ground. My fur boots left imprints in the dirt and flattened the grass as I walked towards the village. Gothi's house wasn't too far outside of the town. That was good. This winter weather was making me cold.

The sooner I could find my way back to my 'room' in the house I had awoken in, the sooner I could be sure that I wouldn't need to face Snotlout's or the chieftain's grief.

…

After walking around ten minutes, I had found my way onto a crude road, and saw that the village center lay only a few hundred yards in front of me. Other villagers passed by me, only glancing at me for a second before going about their own tasks. Wooden houses lined the street, and I looked at each one as I passed, but none looked like the one I had left earlier. It came back to me as my eyes roamed the stained boards of the houses.

The house I was looking for was on a hill – if not the only hill. Now I remembered… the blue and yellow dragon had chased me down a hill … and I had hidden behind the massive statue that lay only a few dozen yards in front of the hut. I had my bearings now. All I had to do was reach the city center and locate the tell-tale hill and stone.

At my remembrances, I quickened my pace towards the looming houses. People trudged on their paths, bogged down by the snow (which had worsened while I had walked), but I only weaved between them. I was intent on reaching the house. Privacy was the one commodity I needed – I had to sort out what I was to do when the funeral came – and yet that was the one thing I always seemed to avoid receiving.

The flat ground continued, and as I plowed through the streets I saw the slight incline of the central hill appear on my near horizon. I breathed a sigh of relief – I had made it back!

The dirt road had morphed to stone, and more people flooded the road. It had grown wider. I spotted the central fountain – but I stopped dead in the street as I heard hurried wingbeats sounding behind me. Whipping my head around, I turned and saw the hulking orange mass of Hookfang barreling towards me. Over the uproar, I couldn't hear, but I saw Snotlout (dwarfed atop his dragon's massive frame) clearly yelling angrily at me.

His arms waved wildly, and as the pair neared me and the square, other people quickly moved out of my general vicinity for the two to land. They did, only a second later, as Snotlout and his dragon came to a gusty, shaking stop only a mere ten feet next to me. At the dragon's landing, I saw the beast's claws gouge deep into the tan cobblestones, and snow caked on his talons. With a rattling shake that ricocheted off the houses and shook the ground beneath my feet, Hookfang's front extremities crashed down onto the bricks. I noticed that instead of front legs, the orange dragon's wings bent on the ground, and he had sharp claws – almost like a bat's front wings.

In one sharp movement, Snotlout jumped down from Hookfang's neck and landed heavily on the ground. He inhaled deeply and turned towards me. With his close proximity to me, I saw his face seemed conflicted and angry. He had found out then. He saw my realization at the same time I picked up on his bewildered grief. Yet he acted faster.

Before I could open my mouth to speak to him, much less even walk towards him, Snotlout ran at me – he was screaming a Viking's warrior yell. I panicked, but in his quick action, I didn't have the time to yell out at his extraordinary show of grief. He neared me, sprinting, and I could barely make out tears streaking down his face. I stared at him, wide-eyed, as he raced towards me. With a strong rush of wind, he finally reached me, and as I braced myself for his startling attack, I was shocked when he suddenly stopped dead in front of me.

His face was only inches away from mine, and I could see the tears on his face. He was breathing heavily from his sprint, but he looked me dead in the eye. I only looked back at him, afraid that if I said something he might lash out.

Snotlout reached a hand out to me. He was shaking, but managed to grip my shoulder. I tried to pull away from him, not wanting his contact, but his grip turned to iron and I was not able to back away. I looked down at his shaking hand, and then back to his eyes. Opening my mouth, I thought to ask what he was doing here, and to let me go, but he beat me to it.

"W-what did you do?!" He asked me, near hysterical. Snotlout grabbed my shoulder with his remaining trembling hand, and not with his full strength on me, I too shook slightly at his power.

"How could you?! You killed her! You killed Astrid!" He screamed at me. I teared up at his display of pure, unfiltered emotion. The girl's name was Astrid. Her name started with the same letter as Anna's…. My heart broke slightly at his pain. If only I could tell him I didn't mean it…. Yet I knew words wouldn't get through to Snotlout. Not in the state he was in. The best thing I could do was leave him to absorb and deal with his grief.

"I-I'm s-sorry." I said to him, struggling to keep my own voice from cracking. Inhaling deeply, I placed my own hands atop his trembling ones and tried to pull him off me. It was no use – he remained still too strong for me.

At my words, and attempted rebuff, something in Snotlout broke. His hands went slack almost immediately, and he released me as he fell to the ground heavily. His crying intensified, and he now lay in a heap in front on me on the snowy ground. The frigid crystals stuck to his hands, legs, and knees, but he didn't react at all. He only kneeled on the ground and sobbed.

The tears in my eyes welled, and I too shook – the guilt returning. It morphed into a giant wave and seemed to hit me squarely in my chest. I backed away from him, stumbling on the ground.

Yet I was able to remain upright. I hit the fountain. Its hard rock dug into my thighs, and the pain shook me out of my shock-induced trance. I turned away from him wildly, and jerked my head around, scanning the square for my escape. A second later, I spotted the stone statue resting in front of me on the grassy hill. Tripping over the stones, I ran towards it.

People parted for me, and I sprinted forwards. The ground rushed by under my feet, and it seemed that only a second later I reached the thick grass. I fell down upon it, crawled to the statue, and curled up against its' cold base.

Snotlout's grief was loud and raw. I couldn't escape it – so I just lay there and stared at the grass, feeling nothing but an emptiness within me as Snotlout grieved for his lost friend. Astrid.

Readers: Thank you for taking the time to view and read my story. I really appreciate seeing that you guys like it! Also, please leave any comments that you have for me in the review/comment box below (no profanity please). Your feedback and constructive criticism would really help me to improve this story.


End file.
